Can You See Sound? Year 4 Investigate Vibrations in Science

This week in Year 4, the classroom was filled with curiosity, excitement and some very unusual sights – including sugar bouncing on top of cling film! As part of our science learning, the children took part in a fascinating experiment to answer the question: Can we see sound?

Working in small groups, the children used a selection of instruments – a ukulele, an agogo, and an African drum – to explore how vibrations from sound travel through the air. Each group carefully stretched cling film over a plastic tumbler and sprinkled a small amount of sugar on top. When the instruments were played nearby, the children observed closely to see what happened.

To their amazement, the sugar began to move and jump, especially when the sound was loud or deep. This simple but powerful experiment showed the children how sound waves cause the air to vibrate, and how those vibrations can cause visible movement. In this case, they could see the effects of sound – even though sound itself is invisible.

Each group carried out their own scientific enquiry by asking and answering key questions, making predictions, and discussing what they observed using scientific vocabulary like vibration, pitch, volume, and energy.

We are incredibly PROUD of the children's focus, teamwork and thoughtful discussions throughout this session. They showed real enthusiasm for practical science and worked brilliantly together to discover how sound travels.