You will need:
- A big grassy field
- 60-80 metres of string
- Plastic ziplock bag full of flour
- Small bell
- Measuring tape
- Nails
- A blindfolded friend
Try this experiment with your friends to find out who amongst you has a better sense of hearing.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Create a diameter by placing 30 metres of string in a straight line on the grass, using nails.
- Place a nail at the mid-point of the diameter (M) and attach 2 strings of 15 metres to the nail.
- Holding 15 metres of string in one hand and the open bag of flour in the other, create a semi-circle by walking from one edge of the diameter to the other.
- Place a blindfolded friend at M.
- Give your other friend a tiny bell and tell him to jingle the bell anywhere along the semi-circle.
- Ask your blindfolded friend to identifythe origin of the noise.
- Mark angle 1 where the bell is actually ringing, and angle 2 where the blindfolded friend is pointing.
- Repeat this experiment with your friend ringing the bell from different areas along the circle.
RESULT
While your friend can probably determine the sound of the bell when it rings from the sides, he might not be able to determine the source of the sound when it is straight ahead of him. This is because our ears are placed on the side of our heads, making it easier to determine sounds from the side, but a little difficult when the source is above, below or in front of us.
