4.1.3 Sonority

What is Sonority?

It is the property of metals that enables them to produce ringing sound .

• Metals produce ringing sounds when dropped .

• Non-metals produce dull sounds when dropped .

• Metals are called sonorous materials .

Question (Page 3): Have you ever noticed the sound produced when a metal spoon, or a metal plate, or a metal coin is dropped on the floor? How is it different from the sound produced when a piece of coal or wood is dropped on the floor?

Answer:
We have studied that metals are sonorous materials . This is why:

• Metal objects produce clear ringing sounds
• Non-metal objects produce dull thud sounds

Activity 4.2: Testing Sonority (Page 3)

What you need:

• A metal spoon
• A coin
• A piece of coal
• A block of wood

What to do:

• Step 1: Take each object one by one
• Step 2: Drop them from a certain height
• Step 3: Listen to the sound produced
• Step 4: Compare the different sounds

Question (Page 3): Do you notice any difference in the sound produced by these objects?

Answer:
We have studied that sonority is a property of metals . This is why:

• Metal spoon and coin produce ringing sounds
• Coal and wood produce dull sounds

Observations

What you see:

Why this happens:
We have studied that metals have sonorous property . This is why metal objects ring while non-metals make dull sounds .

• Metal atoms vibrate freely when struck
• Non-metal structures absorb vibrations quickly