What is it
Children learn that sounds are made when objects vibrate, that vibrations travel through a medium (air, water, solids) to the ear, and that pitch and loudness relate to the properties of the vibration.
Why it matters
This vibration-based model of sound is the same one built on formally at KS3 and GCSE physics when studying sound waves, frequency and amplitude.
Exam tip
Remember that sound needs a medium to travel through and cannot travel through a vacuum (empty space) — this is a frequently tested fact that trips up students who assume sound travels like light.
Related topics
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