Question

straw horn
a student is investigating the properties of sound waves and light waves. to learn more about sound, the student constructs a straw horn following the procedure below.
procedure

1. collect three plastic straws and cut them to three different lengths.
2. flatten the top end of each straw and cut off the top corners of each straw.
3. tape the three straws together.
4. blow air downward into each straw and listen to the

sound.
straw horn
top corners
cut off
tape

Explanation:

Since the problem is about investigating sound waves (a topic in Physics, which is a subfield of Natural Science) through an experiment with straws, here's the analysis:

Discipline and Subfield:

• Discipline: Natural Science
• Subfield: Physics (as it deals with the properties of sound waves, which is a physical phenomenon)

Solution (assuming a common question like "What is the purpose of this experiment?" or "How does the straw length affect the sound?"):

If the question is about the relationship between straw length and sound (frequency):

Step1: Recall Sound Wave Concepts

Sound is a longitudinal wave, and the pitch is related to frequency ($f$). For a straw (a closed - end column for air), the fundamental frequency formula is $f=\frac{v}{4L}$ (where $v$ is the speed of sound in air, and $L$ is the length of the straw).

Step2: Analyze the Effect of Length

From the formula $f=\frac{v}{4L}$, we can see that frequency ($f$) is inversely proportional to the length ($L$) of the straw (assuming the speed of sound $v$ is constant in the same environment). So, when the length $L$ of the straw decreases, the frequency $f$ (and thus the pitch) increases. When we blow into shorter straws, the air column inside is shorter, so it vibrates at a higher frequency, producing a higher - pitched sound. When we blow into longer straws, the air column is longer, vibrating at a lower frequency, producing a lower - pitched sound.

Answer:

The shorter the straw, the higher the pitch (frequency) of the sound produced.