Noise Pollution

What is noise pollution? Noise pollution is not technically pollution such as air pollution, which contaminates our air and then has a knock on effect towards global warming. It may not be a really pollution technically but it is still very bothersome and has negative effects. So what is it really? Noise pollution are sounds that are very irritating but are usually created by people, animals or machine (kinds of sources include all transportation systems, factories, audio entertainment systems, probably anywhere that has a device that gives of loud sound) .

Noise is measured in decibels (db). Humans can hear sounds from 20 to 20,000 decibels. Noise under 20 decibels is called infrasonic, and sounds above 20,000 are called ultrasonic. Yet a sound over 90 decibels can do damage to hearing and can be painful to the ear. This table show relatively the relation between actual sounds and decibels:

So when you watch the video below and you see that the average sound height in Mumbai is about 80 decibels, which is like a cell phone ringing repeatedly, it is easy to understand how it can be bothersome and effects can be sometimes worse then they are thought to be.

This can affect people hearing and can be very displeasing to live in an area with noise pollution. It is something that is prevalent around the globe, especially in urban areas. Yet some people only think of its effects on people, but noise pollution can affect many different kinds of organisms in many different habitats. For example, noise pollution from a boat may affect some animals under the sea, or if machines are digging into the ground this can disturb animals that burrow under the ground. There are a few different levels of noise pollution kinds that can damage mental and physical health and then a level that doesn't really affect the health of the person but is simply very bothersome.

So what are the in-depth effects of noise pollution? One effect is human health; noise pollution disturbs human health in a number of ways. Some of the effects include deafness (from extreme noise pollution), lack of sleep, irritably, indigestion, heartburn, and high blood pressure. Usually one short explosive sound can alter the neurological and cardiovascular system. So imagine if this kind of noise is is over a longer period of time, this can then do more severe damage.

Another effect of noise pollution is annoyance, there is no doubt about it noise pollution is definitely annoying. The level of the noise definitely decides how annoying the noise is. Also we tend to find natural sounds to be much less frustrating then those that are not able to be controlled , an example is that rain falling can be less frustrating then water dripping from a tap. This is probably the most annoying of all the effects, sleep interference. Noise pollution can cause people that are sleeping to wake up or not be able to go to sleep. Not being able to sleep can disturb the sleep pattern of the person making the cranky and tired the next day.

Last but not least noise pollution can make the performance of the person decrease. When there is noise pollution it can affect the concentration and accuracy of the person, making their performance in work go down. Sometimes this can cause the person to have an accident because he/she was not able to pay attention or concentrate. So how can you avoid the possibility of living in an area with noise pollution? Find an area away from a busy highways, intersection, road shopping centers or sporting areas. If your neighbor is a dog owner make sure you know how much their dog barks. Make sure when buying a home it is not close to any airports and places where aircrafts land or take off.

Noise pollution can sometimes be resolved by communicating, so if it is a neighbor who is simply playing music to loud voice your concern. Probably one thing that would make people who are hard of hearing and deaf feel more accepted is attempting to communicate with them. Here are some tips:

Choose a quiet environment, not one that has a lot of noise.

Try to avoid standing in front of a light source when you are speak, instead stand so the light is shining on your face, this makes your face easier to see.

Allow the person to choose their seat first.

Make sure you have the person’s attention before you start.

Stand a normal distance from the person.

Maintain eye contact.

Make sure the topic is clear before starting.

Use open ended questions to check understanding.

Use facial expressions, body posture and gestures to help with communicating.

Communicating is very tiring for people with hearing loss or who are deaf so do not tire the person out.

There are also people who campaign against sound pollution, and there are a few websites about this to. One is http://www.noiseoff.org/ this organization talks about noise pollution in different states in the U.S and a few other countries around the world. As an organization they work towards trying to pass laws that will restrict amounts of noise pollutions. Such as certain caps on motorcycle engines that allow the sound to be muffled. This organization does a lot of work with the people of India, because there is a big problem with noise pollution there as seen in the video below. They are creating posters creating awareness about noise pollution and efforts to get rid of it. You are able to print these posters and are encouraged to put them up if your local neighborhood is having trouble with noise pollution, the posters come in both English and Hindi.

If you have already purchased a house or live in an area where noise pollution is evident you can sometimes buy gadgets that can block out the sound, these things can include soundproofing foam, this foam absorbs the sound not letting the sound reach your ears. This is handy to put up if there is noise pollution that is very irritating. Earplugs can be used as a short term fix, maybe if you need to fall asleep, they simply slightly block out the sound decreasing it's amplitude. I have personally experienced noise pollution first hand. In the area I live in there is often noise pollution thanks to our neighbors. They often play loud music at night or drive cars really fast around our block, so I can definitely say it is annoying. Yet we are lucky since it only happens once in awhile and not frequently.

Noise pollution is harmful to both humans and animals, and it is very annoying. Though it is not a full blown pollution it definitely has it bad effects. Noise pollution is something we could all do without.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zxNVWI2kNE

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

"Noise Pollution, Effects of Noise Pollution, How to Reduce Noise Pollutions." Global Warming, Fossil Fuels, Energy Resources, Environmental Issues. Geogise, 2006. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. .#

"Communication Tips - E-Michigan Deaf and Hard of Hearing." E-Michigan Deaf and Hard of Hearing People. SBC Ameritech, 2002. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. .

"What Is Noise Pollution?" WiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. Wisegeek, 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. .

Guiding Question:

How does density of various solids affect the way the sound waves travel from the tuning fork?

Hypothesis:

I believe that the denser the material is the longer it will take to travel for you to hear, making the sound softer and much shorter.

Materials:

· A 426.6 A tuning fork

· A 256 C tuning fork

· A whiteboard

· A locker

· A desk

· A cement wall

· A notebook

Procedure:

1. First you must take your two tuning forks.

2. Find the first material you will be observing.

3. Tap the 426.6 A tuning fork onto the material and the press the round, flat end against it.

4. Listen closely to the sound.

5. Observe what you hear.

6. Do this with all the other materials.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 but with the 256 C tuning fork.

Material	Density	Loudness with 426.6 A tuning fork	Length with 426.6 A tuning fork	Loudness with 256 C tuning fork	Length with 256 C tuning fork
Locker	7.85 g/cm3	Really loud and very sharp, it hurts your ears	Lasts for about 30 seconds.	Not as loud as the other fork, doesn’t hurt your ears.	Lasts for about 24 seconds
Whiteboard	2.8 g/cm3	Loud same as locker	Lasts for about 17 seconds.	Also much quieter and lower.	Lasts for about 14 seconds.
Desk	0.75 g/cm3	Much louder and hallow song it is deeper. You can hear it without having to put your ear near the fork	Lasts for 15 seconds	You have to actually put your ear to the fork to hear the sound and listen intently	Lasts for about 11 seconds
Wall	3.12 g/cm3	Quieter than other materials you have to listen closely	Lasts 16 seconds	Much quieter you can almost not hear the sound but you can feel the vibrations.	Lasts 15 seconds

RECORD & ANALYZE: Looking at the data pattern I can see is that the denser the material makes it louder and longer. I can see this because all the dense materials are very loud and the sound is longer. You can see that the locker is very dense and then the sound is loud and quiet. Yet the desk was the least dense out of all the materials so it had the quietest sound and lasted the least.

Conclusion: So does the density of a material affect the length of the sound and the loudness of the sound. From the data that I found I can conclude that the denser a material is the louder and longer the sound is. So if this is true that the less dense a material is the quieter it will be and the shorter it will last. The variable in this project was the material and the tuning fork. We changed these things to test the how density effects the loudness and the length. The prediction I made was actually incorrect because the denser the material the louder and lengthier the sound. Yet I said that the denser the material the softer and shorter the sound will be. This lab taught me more about sound and the way density effects sound. From now on I will understand why when I tap on wood compared to when I tap on a locker the difference.

Further Inquiry: I think the biggest cause of error in my data would probably be that when I was listening to the tuning fork I miscounted the seconds or I might have accidently hit the fork a little harder during one test than another. Maybe next time I could possibly use a timer to count how long the tuning fork rings. Maybe I could have something that would hit the fork exactly on point every time. Next time I think I actually will use a stopwatch to record how long the sound lasts. To further continue this experiment, one area that I could elaborate one would probably be how the length or size of the tuning fork changes the sound. From what I found in the experiment it changes the pitch yet I would like to try this experiment with a wider variety of tuning forks.

Check out the video below to see a tuning forks vibrations and sound:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m4ztrpmX-s

How people produce sound.

Guiding Question: How do vocal chords affect the sounds you make? and observe how your lips, tongue, and teeth influence the sounds you make?

Procedure:

1. Pronounce the words in the list below to your partner. Pay attention to how you pronounce the first letter of each word.
2. Together decide if you are stopping your breath when you are pronouncing the first letter of each word. Use a check mark to record in the Data and Observations section if the consonant is stopped or open.

Boat - open	Dog - open
Fan - closed	Vote - open
Kite - open	Gate - closed
Pen - open	Zebra - closed
Sister - closed	Tone - open

Data and Observations:

First Letter	Stopped	Open
B	X
F		X
K	X
P	X
S		X
D	X
V	X
G		X
Z		X
T	X

Conclusion:

1. Is the shape of your mouth or the position of your teeth or tongue different when you pronounce a "d" than when you pronounce a "t"? It is the same feeling.
2. What is the difference between the sound of a "d" and the sound of a "v"? With d it's more tongue and teeth and v it is more tongue and bottom lip.
3. For which first-letter sound(s) in the table do you use your lips and your voice, but not your tongue or your teeth? These sounds are B, P, M.
4. What part of the larynx is like the strings of a guitar? The voice box.

Going Further:

1. Why are women's voices usually of a higher pitch than men's? Probably because they have tighter vocal chords than men do.
2. Why, then, are the voices of young girls and boys of about the same pitch? (You may need to use reference material to answer this question.) They are the same pitch because boys voices have not really developed yet.

Listening to Sounds Lab

Purpose: To determine a way to amplify sound traveling to your ear.

Procedure:

1. Tie 2 strings to the handle of a metal spoon. Each string should be about 40 cm long.
2. Hold one end of each string in each hand. Bump the bowl of the spoon against a desk or other hard, solid object. Listen to the sound.
3. Now wrap the ends of the string around your finger.
4. Put your index fingers up against your ears and bump the spoon against the object again.

Conclusion:

1. How does the first sound compare with the sound you heard with your fingers up against your ears? - The sound in the beginning takes awhile to get to your ear, but after you hold it up to your ear you can hear it much better. You can almost feel the sound.
2. How did the sound travel to your ears when you had the string touching your ears? - The sound traveled through the string and straight to your ear. Your ear didn't have to search for the sound
3. Why do you think it was easier to hear the sound when you put the strings by your ears? - As I said before your ear and he sound didn't have to search for each other there was like a road from the spoon to the ear.

7th grade: Sound Research

1. Define "sound", using your textbook or your own mind! A disturbance that travels through a medium as a longitudinal wave.
2. As you know, there are 3 major types of waves. Draw a Venn Diagram to compare and contrastthe 2 main types of waves.

   Longitudinal Waves	Longitudinal Waves and Transverse Waves	Transverse Waves
   Particle displacement is parallel is parallel to the direction of wave propagation, the particles move left and right.	Both waves particles do not actually move with the wave.	The particle displacement is perpendicular to the direction of the wave propagation particles move up and down

   
   
   3. Predict which statement is true: a) As frequency increases, pitch stays the same. b) As frequency increases, pitch stays the same. c) As frequency increases, pitch decreases.
   7. Observe the structure of the ear if the person nearest to you, without disturbing them. Carefully sketch what you see below:
   
   8. Describe how the form, or shape, of the outer ear relates to its function, or job. I think that the reason the ear it shaped the way it does because it seems to be acoustically fit to pick out sounds.
   9. Predict what will happen when sound waves pass through the auditory canal and encounter the eardrum. Be sure to justify your prediction: When the sound wave passes through the ear and encounters the eardrum it will make the eardrum vibrate.
   10. How does my your prediction from question 9 compare with what you see? I think that my prediction was basically right because the sound waves encounter the eardrum the the sound will sort of make it bounce back and forth and then the sound passes through so that you can hear it.
   11. Fill in the table below:

   Destination after eardrum	Name of structure	Outcome
   1st	Ossicles, or tiny bones, including the malleus, incus, and stapes. (Hammer, anvil, and stirrup.)	They move back and forth.
   2nd	Passes vibrations into your inner ear.	They set off wave-like motions in the fluid inside your snail-shaped cochlea.
   3rd	This stimulates sensory hair cells in your cochlea.	This generates a nerve impulse which travels along your cochlear nerve to your brain.

Properties of Sound Lab

PROPERTIES OF SOUND LAB

Hypothesis: How does changing the amplitude and frequency change how a sound is perceived?

Procedure:

Experiment #1: Amplitude

1. Have 2 partners each hold one end of the thicker rubber band and pull until the rubber band it taut (not loose).
2. Pull the rubber band about 1 cm away from the middle. Let it go. How far does the band move? It moves quite quickly back and forth not very far. Describe the sound you hear in the table below.
3. Repeat step 2 four times. Each time, pull the band back further. Describe how the sound changes each time in the chart below.

Experiment #2: Frequency

1. Have 2 partners each hold one end of the thicker rubber band and pull until the rubber band is taut (not loose)
2. Pull the rubber band about about 2 cm away from the middle. Let it go. Observe the sound.
3. Repeat steps 1-2 with the thin rubber band and describe the difference in the chart below.
4. Now, take the thicker rubber band again. Repeat steps 1-2.
5. Now pull the thicker rubber band even tighter and repeat steps 1-2. Observe how the sound changes.
6. Pull the rubber band even tighter and repeat steps 1-2. Observe how the sound changes. Record your observations in the chart.
7. Last experiment: Have two partners hold the thick rubber band just like in step 1. Repeat step 2 and observe the sound.
8. Now, have one of your partners move his or her hand so that the rubber band is a little bit shorter. Repeat step 2 and observe the change in sound.
9. Repeat step 8 2 more times, making the rubber band a little shorter each time. Record your observations of the change in sound.

Result:

Experiment #1

Distance away from middle	Description of sound
1 cm	Low sound
2 cm	Gets higher
3 cm	Higher
4 cm	Higher
5 cm	Highest

Experiment #2

Thickness of the Rubber Band	Description of Sound
Thick	Deep sound ( Quite hard to pull)
Thin	Higher ( Almost a twangy sound)

Tightness of Rubber Band	Description of Sound
Loose	Low
Tight	Sort of Higher
Tightest	Quite a lot higher

Length of Rubber Band	Description of Sound
Longest	Pretty low and quite hard to tug
Long	Pretty high and quite twangy
Shortest	Highest you can almost hear vibration

Conclusion:

1. How did the sound change when you changed the amplitude (how far the rubber band was away from the middle point)?

The sound changed because as the amplitude increased the sound became so much more twangy and higher in sound.

2. What happened when you changed the thickness, length, and tightness of the rubber band?

The tightness of the rubber band makes the sound much higher, the thickness of the rubber band makes it much harder to pull than a thin rubber band, and the length of the rubber band effects the sound making it lower or higher.

3. Sally is playing the guitar and notices that one of her strings is flat (pitch is too low). What can she do to fix this?

Well what Sally can do is to tune her guitar. Turning the pegs on the top of a guitar one way will make them looser and another way will make them tighter. If she turns the pegs to make the strings tighter this will increase the pitch and making it higher.