Do You Hear What I Hear? Testing the Soundproofing Ability of Different Materials

Overview

Objectives/Goals The objective of this study is to find out which material out of cotton balls, rubber mats, foam, plastic bags, shredded paper, and plaster of Paris will be the most effective in soundproofing. Methods/Materials Sound level meter, alarm clock for sound source, boxes, and several different materials to use for soundproofing, namely cotton balls, rubber mats, foam, plastic bags, shredded paper, and plaster of Paris. Tested the volume coming from the alarm clock inside each box lined with a soundproofing material. Results According to my data, cotton balls were the most effective sound proofer, followed by plastic bags, then the plaster of Paris, with foam in fourth, then shredded paper, and finally, the rubber mats, with the loudest tested volume, and thus the worst soundproofing qualities. Conclusions/Discussion Out of all the materials tested, cotton was the most effective in soundproofing, as it had the lowest volume in all four trials. According to my research, cotton's effectiveness is due to it being soft and porous, therefore, it can absorb and soak up the sound. Repeated trials of testing my soundproofing materials revealed that using a material to soundproof really does make a noticeable difference, as my control, with no soundproofing materials, had a much louder volume. Hopefully, my project can help others reduce unnecessary or unwanted noise.

Awards (1)

• Honorable Mention

Competition history

• CSEF 2017 Materials Science (Junior Division Only) · Entry J1418

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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