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Gilla: Dela:

glass bottle sound experiment

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glass bottle sound experiment

Short explanation

Long explanation, test and improve.

  • How does the sound change if you replace the "drumstick" with something else?
  • How does the sound change if you use something with thin glass, such as a fine wine glass?
  • How does the sound change if you replace the water with something else?
  • How does the sound change if you place the glasses and bottles on top of a hollow box (preferably in wood)?
  • How does the sound change if you remove the plastic wrap?
Gilla: Dela:

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Science Experiments

Musical Jars Science Experiment

A fun science experiment and music lesson all in one! This easy experiment allows kids to learn and make noise (music) in the process.

Kids can explore and investigate sound waves, pitch, and more as they create their own simple musical instrument. Watch our demonstration video below then print out our materials list and instruction sheet to get started. An easy to understand explanation of how the experiment works is included.

glass bottle sound experiment

JUMP TO SECTION:   Instructions  |  Video Tutorial  |  How it Works

Supplies Needed

  • Set of Glasses of equal shape and size
  • Metal Spoon
  • Food Coloring (optional)

Musical Jars Science Lab Kit – Only $5

glass bottle sound experiment

Use our easy Musical Jars Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!

It’s everything you need to  make science easy for teachers and fun for students  — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!

Musical Jar Science Experiment Instructions

glass bottle sound experiment

Step 1 – Begin with empty glass jars of the same shape and size. Use the metal spoon to tap on each one. What do you observe? Do they sound the same? Yes! At this point you’ll notice that each sound is the same. Now let’s find out if we can make the sounds different.

glass bottle sound experiment

Step 2 – Pour water into each jar. Make sure that the water level is different in each jar.

glass bottle sound experiment

Step 3 – Add food coloring to each jar to make it easier to see the different water levels. You can use the same color in each jar or use a rainbow of colors as we did. This is an optional step, but it adds to the fun!

Step 4 – Use the same metal spoon to tap on the jars again. Listen carefully so you can hear how the sounds have changed. Do you know the reason why the jars make different sounds? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial

How Does the Science Experiment Work

Sound is a disturbance that travels through a medium as a wave. In this experiment, tapping on the jars with the spoon disturbs the particles of the jar causing them to vibrate. The vibrations in the jar are transferred to the air surrounding the jar, creating a sound wave. When the jars are all empty, the vibrations and the sounds are all the same. Adding different amounts of water to the jars causes the vibrations (and sound) to change.

You can change the pitch of the sound produced by the amount of water you put in the glass. Pitch is how high or low sound seems to a person and it depends on the frequency of the sound wave. When you add more water to the glass, the pitch is low. This is because the high volume of water in the glass makes it more difficult for the glass particles to vibrate, so the vibrations of the glass are slower and they have a lower frequency. When you add less water to the glass, the pitch is high. This is because the low volume of water in the glass allows the glass particle to vibrate more easily, so the vibrations of the glass are faster and have a higher frequency.

More Science Fun

After your kids understand the concepts of the experiment, turn it into a music lesson. Take turns playing songs and guessing the melody.

For another fun sound experiment, enjoy banging on a pan with this How to See Sound Experiment !

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:

Musical Jars Science Experiment - Steps

Instructions

  • Begin with empty glass jars of the same shape and size. Use the metal spoon to tap on each one. You’ll notice that each sound is the same. Now let’s find out if we can make the sounds different.
  • Pour water into each jar. Make sure that the water level is different in each jar.
  • (Optional) Adding food coloring to each jar makes it easier to see the different water levels. You can use the same color in each jar or use a rainbow of colors like we did.
  • Use the same metal spoon to tap on the jars again. Listen carefully so you can hear how the sounds have changed.

Reader Interactions

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November 15, 2021 at 1:48 pm

I think because different levels of water makes different sounds because I think the more water makes it lower.

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Science Projects > Physics & Engineering Projects > Simple Water Glass Xylophone Science Project  

Simple Water Glass Xylophone Science Project

Learn all about sound waves, echolocation, and more. Plus, do a simple project using materials you have at home that demonstrates how sound travels through water and air.

What You Need:

  • 4-6 tall glasses (they should all be the same shape and size)
  • Pitcher of water
  • Spoon or other object to use as a mallet (metal or wood)
  • An adult helper

What You Do:

1. First, line up the empty glasses, then tap each with your spoon and listen to the sounds they make. Do they all sound the same?

2. Fill the first glass almost to the top with water from the pitcher.

3. Fill the second glass about an inch or so less full than the first glass.

Water in glasses for xylophone

4. Repeat step 2, filling each glass slightly less full than the previous glass so that the final glass has only 1-2 inches of water. You can change the difference in the amount of water between each glass slightly depending on how many glasses you’re using; just make sure that the water level in each glass creates steps going down.

Water in glass

5. Use the spoon to tap gently on the side of the first (fullest) glass and listen closely to the sound it makes. Repeat with each glass and notice the difference in sounds from each one.

What Happened:

By filling the glasses with different levels of water, you were able to hear how sound travels through a container of water. The sound from the glass with the most water sounded quite a bit different from the one with the least water, and the glasses in between should have created sounds that were gradually higher or lower than the sounds from the first and last glasses. Sound waves can travel through water and when the amount of water in a container changes, the sound you hear changes as well. Do you know why? When you tapped each glass, the sound you heard started out as a vibration of the glass and was quickly transferred to vibrating through the water inside the glass as well. The glass with more water had more matter for the sound to travel through, causing the vibrations to become larger and produce a sound with a lower pitch. To compare, think about a stringed instrument such as a bass or guitar: the thicker strings have more mass and create a lower sound than the thinner strings! The glass with the least amount of water had shorter vibrations and created a sound with a higher pitch.

To take this a step further, you can fine-tune the amount of water in each glass to get even steps in sounds made by each one until you can play a simple song (try “Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star” or “Mary Had a Little Lamb”) by tapping on different glasses to play the tune.

Learn all about sound with this science lesson for elementary students.

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Bottled Music

Learn how to make a musical instrument using glass bottles filled with water.

Fill the bottles with varying amounts of water.

Arrange the bottles in order from most to least full.

Blow across the top of each bottle and compare the different sounds you make.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Changing the amounts of air and water in the bottles lets you change the pitch—how high or low the sound is. When you blow across the tops of the bottles, you're making the air inside vibrate. In bottles with more air, vibrations are slower, so the pitch is lower.

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Sound and Pitch – Glass Bottle Xylophone

What you will learn.

In this lesson, you will discover how sound works and how different amounts of water in glass bottles can change the pitch of the sound they make. You will learn to tap bottles and listen carefully to the sounds they produce, noticing how more water creates a lower sound and less water creates a higher sound. By the end of the lesson, you will understand that sound is made by vibrations and that changing the amount of water affects how those vibrations move, making this a fun way to explore sound and music!

Let's Think

  • What happens to the sound when you add more water to the bottles?
  • Can you think of other things that make different sounds like the bottles?
  • Why do you think musicians change the size of their instruments to make different sounds?

Lesson Article

Have you ever wondered how sounds can be different? Today, we’re going to learn about sound and pitch using a fun experiment with glass bottles!

What You Need

To try this at home, you’ll need five glass bottles that are the same size and shape. You’ll also need a spoon and some water.

Let’s Get Started!

First, line up your five bottles in a row. Now, tap each bottle gently with a spoon. Did you notice that they all make a similar sound? That’s because they are all empty and the same size.

Adding Water

Now, let’s make it more interesting! Pour different amounts of water into each bottle. Start with a little water in the first bottle and add more water to each bottle as you go down the line. The last bottle should have the most water.

Time to Tap!

Tap each bottle again with your spoon. Listen carefully. Do you hear how the sound changes? The bottles with more water make a lower sound, while the ones with less water make a higher sound. Isn’t that cool?

Why Does This Happen?

When you tap the bottles, both the glass and the water inside start to vibrate. The more water there is, the slower the vibrations. This makes the sound waves move more slowly, which creates a lower pitch. A lower pitch means a deeper sound.

Did you know that musicians use this idea to create music with different instruments? They change the length or size of the instrument to make different pitches, just like we did with the water in the bottles!

Try It Yourself!

Now it’s your turn to experiment. Try using different objects to tap the bottles or change the amount of water to see what happens. Have fun exploring the world of sound!

Thanks for learning with us today. See you next time!

Discussion Questions

  • What did you notice about the sounds when you tapped the bottles with different amounts of water? Can you describe how the sounds changed?
  • Have you ever heard different pitches in everyday life, like when someone plays a musical instrument or when a car honks its horn? How do those sounds compare to the sounds from the bottles?
  • Can you think of other things around your home that might make different sounds if you tap them or fill them with water? What do you think would happen if you tried this experiment with those objects?

Lesson Activities

Sound Scavenger Hunt: Go on a sound scavenger hunt around your home or classroom. Find objects that make different sounds when you tap them, just like the glass bottles. Try tapping a metal spoon on a wooden table, a plastic cup, or a metal pan. Listen carefully and describe the sounds you hear. Are they high-pitched or low-pitched? What do you think causes the differences in sound?

Pitch Detective: Become a pitch detective by experimenting with different amounts of water in your bottles. Try to create a simple tune by adjusting the water levels. Can you play “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” or another favorite song? Share your musical creation with a friend or family member and explain how the water levels change the pitch.

Vibration Visualization: Fill a shallow dish with water and place it near your glass bottle xylophone. Tap the bottles and watch the surface of the water in the dish. Can you see any vibrations or ripples? Try tapping harder or softer and observe how the water reacts. Discuss with a partner how these vibrations relate to the sounds you hear.

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glass bottle sound experiment

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Glass bottle xylophone

Glass bottle xylophone

What to do with this activity.

This is a simple science experiment that will show your child how sound changes depending on how full something is (volume). You will need 6 same-size glass bottles (the bigger the better); a large jug of water; labels to number the bottles; and a spoon to act as a striker.

1) Line up the 6 bottles in a safe solid place - maybe on a waterproof floor - and label them 1 to 6 from left to right. 

2) Fill up bottle 1 with water; pour a little less water into bottle 2; even less into bottle 3; and so on, until bottle 1 has only a very small amount of water. 

3) Now "tune" the bottles by pouring water out, or adding water, to make it sound like a scale (think "do-re-mi-fa-so-la", as in the song "do, a dear, a female deer"). Bottle 1 will be the lowest note, and bottle 6 will be the highest note.

4) Play tunes by gently hitting each bottle with the spoon. Check out the PDF above right for some tune suggestions. 

Notice how, the more water there is in the bottle, the lower the note becomes. This is because, when you hit the glass, both glass and water vibrate. A bigger volume of water makes a lower sound.

Talk about how large musical instruments, like double basses, play low notes, and small musical instruments, like tin whistles, are very high-pitched.  

Why am I doing this?

Pretend games help your child to develop their language skills and practise things they have seen and heard. Games and activities that build concentration and thinking skills are great for your child. They build skills such as being able to see patterns, being able to group things together and using numbers. Being able to join in games and working with you or other people on a project, is a life skill used every day and a way many people learn.

How can I do more?

Encourage your child to tell you about games they play – with other children, at school or on the computer. Get them to explain the rules of the game to you. Imaginative play is important too so encourage your child in any creative play they are engaged in.  

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Water Xylophone Experiment

Science truly surrounds us even in the sounds we hear! This water xylophone experiment is truly a must do science activity for young kids. So simple to set up, it’s kitchen science at it’s finest with plenty of room to explore and be playful with it. Try this easy sound waves experiment with water in glass jars for a hands-on science project for kids.

glass bottle sound experiment

Explore Sounds Waves With Water

Have you ever heard of the phrase kitchen science? Ever wondered what it means? It’s probably pretty easy to guess, but I will share anyway! Let’s show our kids how cool it is to play with science.

Read more below on how you can extend this sound science experiment, add in the scientific process, and create your own sound waves science experiment.

Kitchen science is science that can come out of the kitchen supplies you have! Easy to do, easy to set up, inexpensive, and perfect science for young kids. Set it up on your counter and go!

For several pretty obvious reasons, a homemade water xylophone experiment is the perfect kitchen science! All you need is mason jars {or other glasses}, food coloring, water, and set up chopsticks or even a spoon or butter knife to explore sound.

ALSO CHECK OUT: 30 Water Experiments For Kids

Did you ever wonder how to make science easy enough to do at home or with a larger group of kids, this is it! We love sharing the simplest of ideas to get you started and comfortable with sharing science with your kids.

Homemade water xylophone sound science experiment.

What Is The Scientific Method For Kids?

The scientific method is a process or method of research. A problem is identified, information about the problem is gathered, a hypothesis or question is formulated from the information, and the hypothesis is tested with an experiment to prove or disprove its validity.

Sounds heavy… What in the world does that mean?!? It means you don’t need to try and solve the world’s biggest science questions! The scientific method is all about studying and learning things right around you.

As children develop practices that involve creating, gathering data evaluating, analyzing, and communicating, they can apply these critical thinking skills to any situation.

READ MORE HERE: Using The Scientific Method with Kids

Note: The use of the best Science and Engineering Practices is also relevant to the topic of using the scientific method. Read more here and see if it fits your science planning needs.

Helpful Science Resources To Get You Started

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

  • Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
  • Science Vocabulary
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  • All About Scientists
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Get your free printable science guide!

glass bottle sound experiment

How Does A Water Xylophone Work

When you tap the empty jars or glasses, they all made the same sound. Adding different amounts of water changes the noise, sound, or pitch.

What do you notice about the amounts of water versus the sound or pitch that is created? The more water, the lower the pitch! The less water, the higher the pitch!

Sound waves are vibrations that travel through the medium which in this case is water! When you change the amount of water in the jars or glasses, you also change the sound waves!

Make sure to have your kids tap the empty jars first to get an idea of the starting sound! Have them predict what will happen when they add water. They can also create a hypothesis to explain what happens when more or less water is added. Read more here on the scientific process for young kids .

  • Food coloring (we used blue, yellow and green for varying shades of green)
  • Wooden sticks (we used bamboo skewers)
  • 4+ mason jars

empty glass jars and food coloring to make a water xylophone

Instructions:

STEP 1. Fill the jars with varying levels of water. You can eyeball the amounts or grab the measuring cups and get a little more scientific with your exploration.

STEP 2. Add food coloring to make different colors for each note. More water equals lower sound or pitch and less water equals a higher sound or pitch. We made our jars pure green, dark green, blue-green, and yellow-green!

Water Xylophone Sound Science Experiment for Kitchen Science and Physics

Things To Try With Your Water Glass Xylophone 

  • Does tapping the sides of the jars make a purer sound than tapping the tops of the jars?
  • Try adjusting the water levels to create new sounds.
  • Try using different liquids and compare results. Different liquids have different densities and the sound waves will travel differently through them. Fill two jars the same amount but with two different liquids and observe the differences!
  • Try using different tools for tapping the glasses. Can you tell the difference between the wood chopstick and a metal butter knife?
  • If you want to get super fancy, you can use a tuning app to raise or lower the water level to match specific notes. We tested out this on e a little bit although we are not music experts over here, it’s a fun way to take the experiment a step farther for older kids.

Exploring sound waves with a homemade water xylophone for sound science experiments and activities

More Fun Ways To Explore Water Science

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  • Can water walk?
  • How do leaves drink water?
  • Great skittles and water experiment: Why don’t the colors mix?
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Playing with homemade water xylophone sound science experiment

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November 13, 2014

Sonorous Science: Making Music with Bottles

A musical physics project from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies

Key concepts Music Sounds Physics Sound waves   Introduction Have you ever blown across a bottle's top and made a pleasant, resonant sound? If so, have you wondered exactly how that note is made? A bottle is actually what is called a "closed-end air column." Clarinets and some organ pipes are examples of musical instruments that work in the same way. In this science activity you will use bottles to investigate how the length of a closed-end air column affects the pitch of the note that it makes.   Background Some musical instruments produce sound from vibrating strings, others from vibrating reeds and still others from resonating columns of air. In this activity you'll try a simple example of the latter type of instrument: narrow-necked bottles that are partially filled with water. These bottles will function as closed-end air columns, which are basically tubes that are open at one end but closed (or covered) at the other.   How do musical instruments make the sounds that they do? All sound is made by vibrations that travel through the air. Specifically, these vibrations cause patterns of air compression that travel as a wave, with air pressure increases being followed by decreases. This is how sound itself is a wave. The pitch of the sound we hear depends on the frequency of the wave—how quickly an increase in air pressure is followed by a decrease. Higher pitches have higher frequencies.   Materials

Three identical narrow-neck bottles (They can be glass or plastic.)

Permanent marker

  Preparation

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Make sure the bottles are clean and empty.

Try blowing across the tops of the bottles you selected to make a resonant sound. Do this by holding the bottle upright (so it is perpendicular to your face). Touch your lower lip to the edge of the bottle, pursing your upper lip and blowing gently over the opening. When you get the angle and airflow just right, you will hear a musical note as the air column in the open bottle resonates. How does the bottle sound? If you cannot make a note by blowing over the bottles, try using different bottles for this activity.

  Procedure

Measure the height of one of the bottles. Using the permanent marker and ruler, make a small mark at exactly halfway up the bottle. Fill this bottle with water up to the mark you made.

On another bottle make a small mark at exactly three quarters up. Fill this bottle with water up to the mark you just made.

Leave the third bottle empty.

Blow across the top of the empty bottle, as you did before. Make sure you can make a clear note. Then blow across the top of the half-full bottle. How does the note that the half-full bottle makes compare with that made by the empty bottle? Is the note from the half-full bottle higher or lower in pitch?

Then blow across the top of the bottle that is three quarters full. It may take some practice to make a note from this bottle. How does the note this bottle makes compare with the one made by the half-full bottle? Is it higher or lower in pitch than the half-full bottle?

Overall, how do the notes made from the three bottles compare with one another? Why do you think that is?

Extra: If you have a piano, electronic keyboard or other musical instrument (or an electronic tuner), you could try comparing the notes from the bottles with the notes on a real instrument. Alternatively, you could try slowly filling a bottle with water, checking what notes it makes as it becomes fuller, and compare those with a real instrument. What notes does it sound like the bottles are making? Can you figure out a relationship between the three notes from the bottles used in this activity?

Extra: Try repeating this activity but use bottles that are different shapes and sizes. Does the shape or size of the bottle affect the note it makes? What about the height of the bottle or how full with water it is (or the level of remaining air)?

Extra: If you have narrow-neck glass bottles, instead of blowing over the tops of the bottles try lightly tapping them (below the waterline) with a wooden mallet. How does the note produced by tapping a bottle change with its water level? Can you explain how this works?

 [break] Observations and results Did the empty bottle produce the lowest pitch? Did the bottle that was filled three quarters full with water make the highest pitch?   When playing a musical instrument that is a closed-end air column, such as the bottles in this activity, the pitch of the note that is made depends on the length of the air column. In other words, the pitch depends on how much water has filled up the bottle and how much empty space remains. This is because the pitch of the sound we hear depends on the frequency of the sound wave that can be created within the bottle's air. The shorter the air column (that is, the shorter the height of the air in the bottle) the higher the frequency. And the higher the frequency the higher the perceived pitch. This is why the empty bottle should have produced a sound wave with a lower frequency than the others and the bottle that was nearly full (three quarters full) should have made the highest pitch.   In fact, because the air column in the half-full bottle was half the length of the air column in the empty bottle, the half-full bottle should have produced a frequency that was twice the empty bottle's frequency. (For more on the mathematics behind this, see the "More to explore" section.) Similarly, the three-quarter-full bottle should have produced a frequency that was twice that of the half-full bottle. When one sound wave is twice the frequency of another, the pitches made are one octave apart. (For example, the middle C note on a piano has a frequency of 262 hertz whereas the C that is one octave higher has a frequency of 524 hertz.) This means that the half-full bottle should have made a note one octave higher than the empty bottle, and the three-quarter-full bottle should have made a note one octave higher than the half-full one.   More to explore Sound Waves and Music , from the Physics Classroom Air Column Resonance , from HyperPhysics Blowing Bottle Tops: Making Music with Glass Bottles , from Science Buddies Science Activities for All Ages! , from Science Buddies  

This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

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Water bottle xylophone

July 2, 2011 By Emma Vanstone 1 Comment

Have you ever tried making music with glasses filled with different levels of water?

It’s a great way to make a musical instrument, pretend to be in a band and learn a little science along the way!

What you’ll need

Glasses or glass bottles Water Wooden stick or pencil

How to make music with glass bottles

Fill each bottle with a different amount of water. The first glass should be the fullest, and the last glass should have the least amount of water.

Tap each glass on the side and listen carefully to the sound.

Try blowing across the top of the bottle, is the sound different?

See if you can create some music!

cartoon illustration of a boy playing a water bottle xylophone

How does a water bottle xylophone work?

When you hit the glass you create vibrations. Vibrations make sounds. You can prove this by putting your fingers to your throat when you talk – you can feel the vibrations! The size of the vibration is called the amplitude – the bigger the amplitude, the louder the sound. The vibrations have to travel through the water – the distance affects the pitch, so the more water, the longer the distance, the lower the pitch, the less water, the less the distance, the higher the pitch!

More musical science experiments for kids

Learn about sound absorption and reflection with a homemade guitar.

Find out how you can see sound !

Last Updated on January 16, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

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Musical Bottles

Activity length, energy sound, activity type, exploration.

Using two different media (air and water) in glass bottles show how the speed of vibrations affects pitch . Students will determine which results in a higher pitch: a full bottle or an empty bottle.

Pitch is the way that your ear and brain order sounds based on their frequency (vibrations per second). Rapid vibrations (high frequency) that reach your ear are categorized as a "higher" pitch, while slower vibrations (low frequency) are categorized as a "lower" pitch. Musicians label the pitches with the letters A through G.

When you tap a glass of water with a pencil or spoon the water molecules vibrate and create sound waves through the water. More water means slower vibrations and a deeper tone. Each of the bottles will have a different pitch when hit with the pencil. The bottle with the most water will have the lowest pitch while the bottle with the least water will have the highest.

When you blow across the top of the bottle, you set the air molecules vibrating and produce sound waves. In this case, more water results in a higher pitch, as opposed to tinkling the bottle. When the bottle has a small amount of water in it, the air molecules have lots of room and vibrate slower. Adding more water gives them less space to vibrate in, making them vibrate faster and producing a higher pitch.

Describe the properties of sound.

Describe pitch and how it varies.

Per Class: blackboard/whiteboard and chalk/marker

Per Student: identical glass bottles filled with various amounts of water (glass baby bottles work well) spoons or pencils

Key Questions

  • Which bottle will produce the highest pitch if we tap the bottle with a spoon? Which bottle will produce the lowest pitch?
  • How do the bottles differ between the highest pitch to the lowest pitch?
  • Which bottle will produce the highest pitch if we blow across the top of the bottle?
  • Which bottle will produce the lowest pitch?
  • Why does blowing across the top of the bottle and tapping the bottle produce different sounds? (Hint: Think about which medium is being vibrated in each case.)

Preparation

  • Fill the glass bottles with different amounts of water.
  • At one end of the blackboard/whiteboard, write “HIGHEST pitch”. At the other end write “LOWEST pitch”.

Part 1: Tapping bottles

  • Each student taps their bottle and compares their pitch with those of their classmates.
  • The students put themselves in order along the blackboard from the highest pitch to the lowest pitch.
  • Once the students are in order, ask each student to tap their bottle to compare the various pitches.

Part 2: Blowing across the bottle

  • Each student blows across the top of their bottle and compares their pitch with those of their classmates.
  • Once the students are in order, ask each student to blow across the top of their bottle to compare the various pitches.
  • Play the bottles to interpret a popular children’s song such as “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”.
  • Separate into teams of 6–7 students, with a "conductor" for each team. Decide as a team whether you will blow across the bottles or tap the bottles to produce your notes. You’ll need some time to fiddle with the amounts of water in the bottles if you want your song to be musical!

About the sticker

Artist: Jeff Kulak

Jeff is a senior graphic designer at Science World. His illustration work has been published in the Walrus, The National Post, Reader’s Digest and Chickadee Magazine. He loves to make music, ride bikes, and spend time in the forest.

Comet Crisp

T-Rex and Baby

Artist: Michelle Yong

Michelle is a designer with a focus on creating joyful digital experiences! She enjoys exploring the potential forms that an idea can express itself in and helping then take shape.

Buddy the T-Rex

Science Buddies

Artist: Ty Dale

From Canada, Ty was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1993. From his chaotic workspace he draws in several different illustrative styles with thick outlines, bold colours and quirky-child like drawings. Ty distils the world around him into its basic geometry, prompting us to look at the mundane in a different way.

Western Dinosaur

Time-Travel T-Rex

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Sound is all about vibrations. the source of a sound vibrates, bumping into nearby air molecules which in turn bump…, in these activities students explore the impressive force of air and learn how air pressure affects their daily lives., related school offerings.

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Water Glass Xylophone

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Create your own rainbow water glass xylophone using a few simple supplies. Learn about how sound waves travel, how different pitches are produced, and have fun playing on your own homemade water glass xylophone musical instrument !

A child playing a xylophone made out of water glasses

Getting Ready

Making a water glass xylophone is so easy. To begin, we gathered the following supplies:

  • 8 identical drinking glasses or mason jars
  • Measuring cups
  • Food coloring
  • Plastic spoon
  • Wooden spoon

We arranged the cups in a straight line. In the first glass we measured 1 3/4 cups of water, then 1 1/2 cups of water in the second glass, 1 1/4 cups of water in the third glass, and so on. We decreased the amount of water by 1/4 cup in each glass, leaving the last glass empty.

Learn about how sound waves travel, how different pitches are produced, and have fun playing on your own homemade water glass xylophone musical instrument!

Once we measured water into each glass we used food coloring to dye the water all the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. By the time we were done we had a rainbow water glass xylophone!

Learn about how sound waves travel, how different pitches are produced, and have fun playing on your own homemade water glass xylophone musical instrument!

The kids used a plastic spoon to tap on the glasses. They were amazed to hear that each glass sounded different!

They took turns using different tools to tap the glasses with. Wooden, metal, and plastic spoons were some of their favorite tools to use as mallets.

Learn about how sound waves travel, how different pitches are produced, and have fun playing on your own homemade water glass xylophone musical instrument!

They quickly noticed that the glass containing the most water produced the lowest pitch while the glass with no water in it produced the highest pitch. I asked them to think about why this would be the case. They came up with a hypothesis as they continued experimenting.

The kids tapped the glasses from the side and from the top. They even had fun tapping them with their palms and fingernails. It was interesting to notice how the pitch was slightly different with each kind of tap.

Learn about how sound waves travel, how different pitches are produced, and have fun playing on your own homemade water glass xylophone musical instrument!

The kids loved trying to figure out how to play simply melodies like “Happy Birthday” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” on the water glass xylophone. It was so fun!

The Science Behind the Music

When a mallet taps the glass, the water inside the glass vibrates. The pitch of the sound depends on the speed of the vibrations. Since the glass with the most water slows down the vibrations the most, it produces a lower pitched sound. The glass with no water in it produces the highest pitched sound because the sound waves can move quickly through the air into our ears.

Learn about how sound waves travel, how different pitches are produced, and have fun playing on your own homemade water glass xylophone musical instrument!

Sound is simply vibrations that move through a medium that our brains interpret into noise we hear. When a glass is tapped with a spoon the vibrations travel from the glass to the water, then through the air to our ears. It all happens so quickly!

Making a water glass xylophone incorporates principles of science, math, design, music, and engineering, making this a must-do activity for every home and classroom.

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Reader Interactions

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November 7, 2017 at 9:03 pm

How many ounces if the Masonjars?

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November 10, 2017 at 8:24 am

You can use about 4 ounces. Thanks!

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April 2, 2020 at 12:25 pm

Hi Jennifer, I am using this project with my intermediate music classes as we all practice social distancing. I appreciate the science behind it but it covers many musical topics as well. Using different tools for striking produces different “timbre” (tam-bour) just like an oboe sounds different from a violin. I hope they will create songs with their instruments. This has been very useful. Thank you.

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April 10, 2020 at 1:42 pm

I’m so glad you’re enjoying it, Dottie!

[…] Water Glass Xylophone –   Learn about how sound waves travel, how different pitches are produced, and have fun playing on your own homemade water glass xylophone musical instrument! […]

[…] Water Xylophone from A Dab of Glue Will Do […]

[…] Homemade Xylophone […]

[…] If you don’t have an instrument that is colour-coded you can make this water xylophone: https://www.adabofgluewilldo.com/water-glass-xylophone/ . If you are not familiar with colour words you can check out this playlist to learn more about […]

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Education Corner

Top 10 Sound Experiments: Fun & Easy

Photo of author

Sound, an intrinsic part of our lives, is more than just a medium for communication and entertainment. It is a fascinating scientific concept, offering insights into how energy travels and interacts with our environment.

This carefully curated selection is designed for learners of all ages, covering fascinating topics like vibration, sound waves, pitch, and resonance. These hands-on, educational experiments will not only amplify your understanding of the science of sound but also strike a chord with your innate curiosity.

We hope you enjoy this compilation of sound experiments and that it inspires you to continue exploring the wonders of science.

1. How to See Sound Experiment

The How to See Sound experiment is a fascinating way to explore the relationship between sound waves and visual patterns.

The How to See Sound experiment is a fun and insightful experience that is likely to pique your interest, whether you’re a scientific enthusiast, an artist, or just someone who enjoys discovering the wonders of the world around you.

2. Glass Bottle Xylophone

Seeking an innovative and entertaining technique to learn more about the science of sound? With the help of the Glass Bottle Xylophone experiment, students can build their own musical instrument and learn about the fundamentals of sound.

3. Singing Spoons

Do you want to learn more about the science of sound in a playful and imaginative way? Using just a few spoons, the Singing Spoons experiment is a fascinating and fun project that you should try.

4. Make a Straw Oboe

Make your own musical instrument by cutting a straw to a specific length and blowing across the top to create different notes. Experiment with different straw lengths to produce different pitches.

5. Create a Thunder Drum!

Creating a thunder drum is a unique and exciting way to explore the properties of sound and can help students understand these concepts in a more tangible way.

6. Musical Wine Glasses

The musical wine glass experiment is a fun and easy way to explore the science of sound and create your own musical instrument. By filling wine glasses with different amounts of water and tapping them with a spoon, you can produce a range of musical notes and create your own melodies.

7. Tuning Fork Resonance Experiment

The tuning fork experiment is an established representation of how resonance and frequency work in the study of sound.

Students can see and measure the effects of resonance and frequency in this experiment by experimenting with various objects and tuning forks of different frequencies.

A hands-on introduction to the fundamental concepts of sound and waves is provided by this simple yet interesting experiment.

8. The Doppler Effect with Sound

Through the use of sound waves generated by a moving sound source, students can investigate the Doppler effect in this experiment.

Students can learn about the Doppler effect and its use in disciplines like astronomy and radar technology through this exercise in an useful and fascinating way.

9. Soundproofing Experiment 

Students can learn about the science of soundproofing and its importance in building pleasant and effective surroundings through this project, which is a practical and hands-on learning experience.

10. Standing Waves

With the help of this experiment, students can learn about the fundamentals of wave interference and resonance as well as how these ideas are used in real-world situations.

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IMAGES

  1. Sound and Pitch

    glass bottle sound experiment

  2. Pop Bottle Music

    glass bottle sound experiment

  3. Can you make music with water? Just pour water into jars or glasses

    glass bottle sound experiment

  4. The Science of Sound...Using Glasses & Soda Bottles!

    glass bottle sound experiment

  5. Pop Bottle Sounds

    glass bottle sound experiment

  6. Water Glass Xylophone

    glass bottle sound experiment

VIDEO

  1. Experiment on breaking glass bottles & balloons

  2. Opening Glass Bottle Sound Effect

  3. Breaking glass bottle experiment #experiment #bottlexperiment #glassbottle

  4. Hammer Breaks Glass Bottle Sound Effect

  5. Breaking glass bottle experiment #glassbottle #bottelexperiment #glasscontainer #experiment

  6. Breaking glass bottle experiment #glassbottle #bottelexperiment #experiment #shorts

COMMENTS

  1. Glass bottle xylophone

    The air in the glass bottle vibrates when you hit the bottle. Just as water waves are created if you hit a water surface, sound waves are created when you hit the glass bottle, which in turn hits the air. The air, in turn, hits the back wall of the bottle, which in turn hits the air outside the bottle. Actually, all this happens almost ...

  2. Musical Jars Science Experiment

    Musical Jars Science Experiment. A fun science experiment and music lesson all in one! This easy experiment allows kids to learn and make noise (music) in the process. Kids can explore and investigate sound waves, pitch, and more as they create their own simple musical instrument. Watch our demonstration video below then print out our materials ...

  3. Simple Water Glass Xylophone

    2. Fill the first glass almost to the top with water from the pitcher. 3. Fill the second glass about an inch or so less full than the first glass. 4. Repeat step 2, filling each glass slightly less full than the previous glass so that the final glass has only 1-2 inches of water. You can change the difference in the amount of water between ...

  4. Sound and Pitch

    #pitch #sound #xylophone #energy #ngscienceLearn how to make a glass bottle xylophone and observe how the pitch changes when the bottles are struck with a me...

  5. Bottled Music

    WHAT'S HAPPENING. Changing the amounts of air and water in the bottles lets you change the pitch—how high or low the sound is. When you blow across the tops of the bottles, you're making the air inside vibrate. In bottles with more air, vibrations are slower, so the pitch is lower.

  6. Sound and Pitch

    Sound and Pitch - Glass Bottle Xylophone. Have you ever wondered how sounds can be different? Today, we're going to learn about sound and pitch using a fun experiment with glass bottles! What You Need. To try this at home, you'll need five glass bottles that are the same size and shape. You'll also need a spoon and some water. Let's ...

  7. Musical Bottles

    Instructions. Try blowing across the tops of the bottles you picked to make a resonant sound. Do this by touching your lower lip to the edge of the bottle, pursing your upper lip, and blowing gently over the opening. When you get the airflow just right, you will hear a musical note as the air column in the open bottle resonates.

  8. Glass bottle xylophone

    This is a simple science experiment that will show your child how sound changes depending on how full something is (volume). You will need 6 same-size glass bottles (the bigger the better); a large jug of water; labels to number the bottles; and a spoon to act as a striker. ... Now "tune" the bottles by pouring water out, or adding water, to ...

  9. Water Xylophone Experiment

    STEP 1. Fill the jars with varying levels of water. You can eyeball the amounts or grab the measuring cups and get a little more scientific with your exploration. STEP 2. Add food coloring to make different colors for each note. More water equals lower sound or pitch and less water equals a higher sound or pitch.

  10. Make a bottle xylophone

    Making your own musical instrument is a fun project for kids of all ages and this bottle xylophone is really simple to make. You can also use your bottle xylophone to experiment with sound and how it changes depending on how much water you add to the bottles. What you will need: Small glass bottles. Strong string or twine. Duct tape. Water. 2 ...

  11. Sonorous Science: Making Music with Bottles

    Preparation. Make sure the bottles are clean and empty. Try blowing across the tops of the bottles you selected to make a resonant sound. Do this by holding the bottle upright (so it is ...

  12. Water bottle xylophone

    Glasses or glass bottles Water Wooden stick or pencil. How to make music with glass bottles. Fill each bottle with a different amount of water. The first glass should be the fullest, and the last glass should have the least amount of water. Tap each glass on the side and listen carefully to the sound.

  13. How to Make Musical Bottle Instruments Using Glass Bottles

    Resonance: Explore the concept of resonance as the glass bottle amplifies and sustains the vibrations produced by tapping. Sound Waves: Introduce the idea that the vibrations in the air, known as sound waves, travel to our ears, allowing us to hear the musical note. Pitch: Experiment with different amounts of liquid in the bottles to observe ...

  14. The Science of Sound...Using Glasses & Soda Bottles!

    In this video, we combine music and science to explore what creates sound and how the water level in a bottle or glass can affect the pitch.

  15. Musical Bottles

    Objectives. Describe the properties of sound. Describe pitch and how it varies. Materials. Per Class: blackboard/whiteboard and chalk/marker Per Student: identical glass bottles filled with various amounts of water (glass baby bottles work well) spoons or pencils Key Questions. Part 1: Which bottle will produce the highest pitch if we tap the bottle with a spoon?

  16. Water Glass Xylophone Experiment

    Create your own xylophone out of water glasses! Make this colorful musical instrument and learn about sound waves in this experiment from The Good and the Be...

  17. Making music with cups of water

    Experiment with your own special sounds by turning glasses of water into instruments, make some cool music and find out how it works. ... What you'll need: 5 or more drinking glasses or glass bottles; ... Small vibrations are made when you hit the glass, this creates sound waves which travel through the water. More water means slower vibrations ...

  18. Blowing Bottle Tops: Making Music with Bottles

    Table 1. In your lab notebook, make a data table like this one. You will make a separate data table for each bottle you test. This table has been partly filled in as an example; be sure to fill in your data table with your own data. Try blowing across the top of the bottle you selected to make a resonant sound.

  19. Water Glass Xylophone

    Making a water glass xylophone is so easy. To begin, we gathered the following supplies: We arranged the cups in a straight line. In the first glass we measured 1 3/4 cups of water, then 1 1/2 cups of water in the second glass, 1 1/4 cups of water in the third glass, and so on. We decreased the amount of water by 1/4 cup in each glass, leaving ...

  20. Physics Project Sound Experiment (Glass Bottle and Pitch) by Matthew

    Experiment on how different levels of water inside glass containers will affect the pitch of the sound produced upon being tapped. Made as a project requirem...

  21. DIY Water Xylophone Activity

    This simple DIY xylophone takes just a couple minutes to make with jars and water, but is a great sound activity! Use this water xylophone to help teach toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, and 2nd graders about pitch with this easy sound experiment for kids. Plus this homemade xylophone is a really cool music activity for kids ...

  22. Top 10 Sound Experiments: Fun & Easy

    The musical wine glass experiment is a fun and easy way to explore the science of sound and create your own musical instrument. By filling wine glasses with different amounts of water and tapping them with a spoon, you can produce a range of musical notes and create your own melodies. 7. Tuning Fork Resonance Experiment.

  23. Glass Sound Vibrations Science Experiments Resource Pack

    The Glass Sounds Vibrations Resource pack contains three Science experiments about sound, aimed at F-2 students. The experiments include a bottle flute experiment, glass vibrations and sounds experiment, and the noisy glasses experiment. These experiments are a wonderful addition to your Science resources about sound. For more resources like this, look here. Check out our National Science Week ...