Science Secrets · Drawing 16 of 40
Music in the Glasses
Light and Sound
These identical glasses hold different amounts of water. When gently tapped, they vibrate and make different sounds. More water usually gives a lower note.
Did you know?
Blow across a bottle instead, and it’s the opposite: more water gives a higher note.
Look together
Which glass would you try first?
An idea to try
An adult sets up identical sturdy glasses with different water amounts. The adult gently taps them while the child compares sounds.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
When a glass is tapped, water changes the glass-water system’s vibrations. Blowing across a bottle mainly excites the air and reverses the relationship between water amount and pitch.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Simplified scene and shapes. Models, imagined comparisons and enlargements do not preserve all real measurements.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Science World: Musical BottlesThese identical glasses hold different amounts of water. When gently tapped, they vibrate and make different sounds. More water usually gives a lower note.
Source review: 2026-10-12. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
