Adventure of the Week: Water Xylophone

Explore sound in the kitchen by filling glass cups or jars with varying amounts of water. Eyeball different amounts, or use a small measuring cup to be more precise. Use a metal butter knife, wooden spoon, or chopstick to tap on the sides of the containers and listen to the sounds they make.

When the containers are empty, they all make the same sound. Adding different amounts of liquid changes how the sound wave vibrations travel and changes the pitch. The more water, the lower the pitch. The less water, the higher the sound! You can also add food coloring to the water. Then, talk about what colors mix to make other colors.

• What do you see? What do you feel? What is happening?
• What do you think will happen when water is added to the container?
• How does the container with the most water sound different than the container with the least water?
• Does the sound change depending on where you tap the glass?
• What about if you use a different tool?
• Do you think the sound would change if we used juice or milk instead of water?

Upcoming Events

• War of the Currents with Bakken Museum – Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and the story of their feud provide a gateway into learning about the science, engineering, and history of electricity and how we generate it. This show engages students in thinking about this tricky topic through interactive storytelling, humor, and some very exciting demonstrations including a finale that will leave students feeling energized about science. This program is available to view on our website through July 17.
• Storytime on Facebook Live – Join Washington County librarians on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. for a live storytime on Facebook as we sing, talk, read, write and play together!