Experience sound phenomena, from the well known to the obscure!
Dive into the science behind sound. There is always something to hear, whether it’s a car, the radio, a baby, or a bird. You don’t always stop to think about it, but these sounds tell us a lot about the world around us.

Inside the room hangs a large spiral on the ceiling. Its shape is inspired by the kind of seashell you might hold to your ear. Along the spiral, you can see a frequency scale, beautifully illustrated by Mark van Huystee. Recognisable sounds, such as an elephant trumpeting, are arranged on this frequency scale and visitors can compare them with other iconic sounds. As a human, most sounds on this scale will be inaudible to you! Visitors therefore get a better understand of ‘frequency’ and learn about the range of human hearing. The floor also features a spiral. This one shows the decibel scale.

A central circular display case shows a selection of sound-producing objects from Museon’s extensive collection. Eight exhibits explain different scientific aspects of sound. Why is there no sound in a vacuum? What causes the doppler effect? Furthermore, visitors can experiment with buttons, waves, pitch, amplitude and Chladni patterns.

Illustrations by Mark van Huystee (www.huystee.com)

www.museon.nl