Spoon Orchestra
Every material on Earth has a natural voice. Strike it and it tells you something. Can you predict which one rings and which one thuds before you ever strike it?
5-12 yrs
Easy
15
min
Stage 1-3
Mission Briefing.
Designed by Darin Carr (BSc, DipEd)
NESA Accredited Teacher Chemistry & Physics Specialist
Creator of the LAB™ Learning System
Alex
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Spoon Orchestra
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NESA Accredited Teacher
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High school chemistry & physics specialist 30+ years
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The Crazy Scientist in primary schools — 15 years
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International conference presenter on science education
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Creator of the LAB™ Learning System
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Curriculum aligned: NSW Science & Technology K–6 (2024)
A picture is worth a thousand words — check this out and see if you can spot the science hiding in plain sight.
Mission Equipment
One metal spoon
One wooden spoon
One plastic spoon — roughly similar sizes to each other if possible
Two pieces of string approximately 30–40 cm each
A hard surface to strike the spoons against (edge of a desk or table leg)
Let’s Investigate
1
Gather your spoons
Place the three spoons side by side — metal, wooden, plastic.
Before attaching any string or striking anything, spend 30 seconds with each spoon: pick it up, feel its weight, tap it against your palm with a finger, notice how it feels and sounds at that very low level.
3
Strike spoon
Hold the metal spoon by the strings so it hangs freely. Press both index fingertips gently but firmly into your ear canals.
Ask a partner to strike the spoon bowl gently against the edge of a desk — or swing it yourself so it taps a hard surface.
Listen carefully.
5
Strike last spoon
Move the strings to the plastic spoon.
Same technique, same surface, same strike strength. Listen.
Describe what you hear.
2
1st Test
Tie one end of each string to the handle of the metal spoon — one string per side, roughly balanced so the spoon hangs horizontally when held by the strings.
4
Strike next spoon
Move the strings to the wooden spoon.
Use the same technique — spoon hanging freely, fingertips in ear canals, same surface, same strike strength as the metal spoon.
6
Think about patterns
Now compare all three.
Rank them from most resonant to most muffled. Look at your original prediction — did the order match?
Then ask the question underneath: the three spoons are the same shape, the same string carried the sound each time.
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The Crazy Scientist LAB Learning System™
Every experiment follows The Crazy Scientist Lab Learning System™ — a simple way to help kids think like real scientists.
We
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LINK to what they already know,
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ACTIVATE curiosity through hands-on discovery
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BUILD understanding that actually sticks.
You've already discovered what happens when vibration travels through a solid directly to your ear — the coat hanger taught you that.
Now a different question: what if the solid itself is different? Does the material change the sound, or does it just carry it?
Write your ranking — 1st to 3rd — and your reason for each position. What is it about the material that makes you predict what you predict?
Think back to each spoon in turn — recall the sound you heard through the string for each one. How would you describe the metal spoon's voice? The wooden spoon's? The plastic spoon's? Reach beyond "loud" and "quiet" — pitch, duration, quality, what it reminds you of.
Now rank the three from most resonant (longest-ringing, richest sound) to most muffled (shortest, flattest). Compare your ranking now to the prediction you wrote before you started.
Did your ranking match your prediction? If something surprised you, what was it — and what does that tell you about what you assumed before the experiment?
Every material has a natural voice — and the people who design objects that need to produce, carry, or absorb sound have always known this. Now that you've heard the difference, think about where that knowledge is being used around you.
Bells have been made of metal for thousands of years — bronze, brass, steel. You could physically cast a bell shape in wood or plastic. Based on what you heard, why don't bell makers use those materials — and what would a wooden bell sound like when struck?
"Want the full teacher guide? The Crazy Scientist Lab includes classroom delivery tips, how to manage the WOW moment, differentiation for Stage 2 & 3, — ready to teach tomorrow."
Think Like a Scientist
Scientists don't just do ONE experiment; they change one part of the experiment (independent variable) and then see how it affects another part of the experiment
(dependent variable)
Change ONE variable and test again.
Does the size of the object change the pitch — does a large metal serving spoon produce a lower note than a small metal teaspoon?
Does adding mass to the spoon change its voice — if you hold a piece of blu-tack against the bowl of the metal spoon while striking it, does the sound change?
🧪 Try it! Change ONE thing and test again. What did you discover?
Dr Puddledrip’s Science Tip
Want to go deeper? Tap a section below to explore. ▼
The Science Behind It
You are surrounded by atmospheric pressure every moment of your life — you just normally cannot feel it because it pushes equally from every direction.
Extension: G&T Years 5 & 6
Vocabulary
Know a parent or teacher who'd love this? Send it on! 👇
READY TO TEACH THIS
TOMORROW?
Running the experiment is easy; however, teaching it well is another challenge.
Teachers often ask:
How do I adapt this for Stages 1,2 or 3?
What do I do with fast finishers?
What misconceptions will they have?
How do I structure this for a full class?
What syllabus outcomes does it cover?
What do I say when they ask WHY?
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