How do instruments make different sounds?
Sound's Secret Recipe
How do instruments make different sounds?
You pluck a guitar string and hear a twang. You blow across a flute and hear a whistle. You whack a drum and hear a boom. Same air, same room — so why does every instrument sound completely different?
Sound is invisible wiggles traveling through air. When something vibrates — moves back and forth really fast — it pushes air molecules into tiny waves that spread outward. Your eardrum catches those waves and your brain says "I hear something!" But not all wiggles are created equal.
