Come gather round, young girls and boys
And let me share with you some joys
Of sounds and waves and things that vibrate
And how they all together relate

First up, the decibel's what we use
To measure loudness, not just abuse
Of our ears, which can handle just so much
Before it's too intense and such

The sound barrier's a funny thing
It's where sound can't travel - what a ring!
It's like a wall that sound can't break
No matter how much noise we make

Frequency is how fast sound goes
It's measured in Hertz, don't you know
And if it's high or low, that's the pitch
From high soprano to bass's ditch

When sounds get loud, they compress
Which means they're squished and under stress
This is why we use intensity
To describe how loud a sound can be

Sound waves travel through the air
And all around us, they're everywhere
Vibrating particles in their wake
A sensation we call a sound wave

Ultrasound and sonar, oh my!
These are sounds we can't hear with our eye
But they're useful in many ways
To help us see and navigate our days

A sonic boom is quite a thrill
A thunderous noise that can give a chill
It happens when an object goes too fast
And breaks the sound barrier at last

Last but not least, there's the cochlea
A tiny thing inside our ear
It helps us hear and interpret sound
So we can understand all that's around

So there you have it, my young friends
A journey through sound that never ends
Now go out and explore with glee
All the amazing things that sound can be!

Reflections

1. What is the decibel, and why is it important to know about it?
2. What is the sound barrier, and what happens when sound reaches it?
3. How is frequency measured, and what does it tell us about sound?
4. Can you name a few examples of sounds we can't hear with our ears, and explain how they are useful in everyday life?