When Sound Makes Rice Jump
Written by Studio AM.
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A few dry rice grains rest on a thin film stretched tightly across a bowl. When someone beats a handheld drum nearby, the grains may quiver even though no hand touches them. The drum's vibrating surface makes pressure changes travel through the air. These sound waves push gently on the film.
The film bends and springs back, carrying the rice with it. A stronger drumbeat often makes a larger movement, while a soft beat may cause no visible jump. The drum is held away from the bowl so it does not shake the setup directly. The rice does not create the vibration; it makes the film's motion easier to see. Moving the sound farther away can also reduce the effect because less sound energy reaches the bowl. The bowl holds the film's edges steady while the center can move. This small experiment turns an invisible pattern in the air into visible motion.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
What is the main idea of the passage?
The answer is A: Sound waves can move a stretched film, and rice grains make that otherwise unseen vibration visible.
The passage traces pressure changes from a drum to the moving film and uses the rice to reveal that motion.
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Question 2 of 4
Why are the rice grains useful in this experiment?
The answer is B: Their movement makes the film's vibration easier to observe.
The grains ride on the bending film, turning motion that is difficult to see into a noticeable quiver or jump.
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Question 3 of 4
What does “quiver” mean in the description of the rice grains?
The answer is C: shake with a small, quick movement
The nearby drumbeat moves the film under the grains, so “quiver” describes their small shaking motion.
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Question 4 of 4
What does the bowl do in the experiment?
The answer is D: It holds the film's edges steady.
The penultimate sentence states that the bowl’s role is to hold the film's edges steady.
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