Animals communicate using sound. Choose one or two types of animal and research to learn the following:
how the animals produce sound waves
how the animals sense sound waves
how sound travels in the animal’s environment
the range of frequencies (or wavelengths) that the animals can detect
what information sound gives this animal about the environment
how sound moves between different media when it is produced, traveling, or detected, and how the sound is changed at each boundary
Dolphins
1. Dolphins produce sound waves by vibrating their laryngeal muscles to create clicking and whistling sounds. These sounds are produced in their nasal cavities and then focused by their melon, a fatty organ located in their forehead.
2. Dolphins sense sound waves through their lower jaw and inner ear. They have excellent hearing abilities due to their specialized ears that can detect a wide range of frequencies.
3. Sound travels underwater much faster than in air, around 1,500 meters per second. It can travel long distances and be reflected and refracted by different water layers, allowing dolphins to communicate with each other over vast distances.
4. Dolphins can detect frequencies ranging from 0.2 kHz to 150 kHz, far beyond the human range of hearing.
5. Sound gives dolphins vital information about their environment, helping them navigate, communicate, and locate food. They use echolocation to detect objects and prey through sound waves bouncing off them.
6. When sound waves move between different media, such as water and air, they undergo changes in speed and direction. For example, when a dolphin produces a sound underwater and it reaches the surface, it will be partly reflected and refracted, leading to distortions in the sound wave.