Musical dimension Vibration S.T.E.A.M Activity

Musical dimension Vibration Visualizer activity 

Turn sound into moving art with rice, beans, and music!

A simple, hands-on experiment that shows how sound (pitch, volume, rhythm) moves materials. Great for homeschool, science centers, or a rainy-day STEAM activity.

Observe how frequency (pitch), amplitude (volume), and rhythm/tempo affect physical vibration.

Practice making careful observations, recording results, and comparing outcomes.

Connect audible qualities of music with visible motion. 

You’ll need:

• Small portable speaker (battery-powered)

• Medium mixing bowl

• Plastic wrap

• 2–3 tbsp dry rice or beans

• Notebook + pencil (worksheet print out bottom of page)

• Phone/camera for video/photos

• Music

I made this playlist for the activity but activity will work with any music/frequencies 

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR0sDu_bLGST_BDuBqgZvps5LAUk7hQy_&si=AO-4L_ot-Z-i-YEu

Step-by-step:

1. Place speaker inside bowl

2. Stretch plastic wrap tightly across the bowl top; secure.

3. Sprinkle rice/beans on top (1–2 tbsp).

4. Play music at low volume first, observe movement.

5. Test louder volume, bass vs. treble songs, and fast vs. slow beats.

6. Try beans vs. rice, and adjust plastic wrap tension.

7. Record observations or video clips.

Quick science explanation:

Sound is moving air( pressure waves.) Low-frequency (bass) waves push more air over longer wavelengths and often cause bigger motions; high frequencies are quicker but may not move as much mass. Louder sounds (higher amplitude) move more air overall and make the grains jump more. Rhythm and tempo create repeating patterns your eyes can track.

Sound is invisible, but when it meets a thin skin and tiny particles it becomes spectacularly visible. This turns music into moving art. Try different songs, make predictions, and let the kids test and record. Science + music = instant wonder. I loved this activity as much as the kids, I hope you enjoy! 

Chloe

Science table worksheet

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JP-d0sVreJlalSqSeXYVKu5QvS5oA-06erNPVeckIqg/edit?usp=drivesdk