Book 4, Question 107
Why Does a Stream Make a Bubbling Sound?
Moving water slams into rocks and folds over itself! Air gets trapped in the water and pops. Those pops, plus the rush of the water, are the stream's voice.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 4
More fun facts
- When moving water splashes into other water, it traps little bubbles of air.
- Those air bubbles vibrate, and the vibrations make sound.
- Scientists found that the sizes of the bubbles decide what a breaking wave sounds like.
- When a wave curls over itself, big bubbles form.
- Falling water ripples and breaks into drops. Thicker streams of water break into bigger drops.
- One scientist began studying the plink of dripping water after a leaky roof dripped into a bucket all night and kept him awake.
Sources: Science News Explores, Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
What makes the bubbling sound?
Tiny bubbles of air trapped in the water vibrate. Each one makes a little sound, and together they make the stream's babble.