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Experiment Basics

PurposeTo test if a change in

altitude,which causes a change in air density, affects sound

intensity

HypothesesA1:

The sound intensity is directly proportional to altitude

A2:

The sound intensity is affected by the altitude, but it is not directly proportional to the altitude

B:

Sound intensity does not vary at altitude

Equipment

• Lab-Pro

• Microphone

• 9 Volt Battery

• Buzzer

• WDSS

Procedure

• Set up sensors and buzzer

• Attach gondola to balloon

• Raise gondola 100ft. and hold position for 1 minute

• Continue raising and pausing until 900 ft. is reached

• Bring down balloon

• Retrieve data

• Repeat as necessary to collect accurate data

Intensity vs. Time

Analysis

• The level of decibels at altitude decreasedaverages

77.49dB Ground level

47.54dB 100ft.

42.68dB 200ft.

41.33dB 300ft.

43.59dB 400ft.

39.32dB 500ft.

39.33dB 600ft.

38.1dB 700ft.

38.91dB 800ft.

39.17dB 900ft.

44.75 -average over total flight 41.10 -average without ground level average

Obstacles To Overcome

• Start constructing experiment earlier

• Consider other variables– Ambient noise

Conclusion

• Because our margin of uncertainty was so high, and our data was so varied, we can neither confirm nor disprove our hypothesis.

Lesson Learned

• There are many variables to consider when measuring sound– Ambient noise– Sensitivity of microphone

• Sound-proofing a box is more difficult than we anticipated

• To attain results, all measuring equipment must be properly initiated!