Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi my Question/ topic is: How well does sound travel through different materials?

I am making about 6 boxes about 6in X 6in, out of different materials wood, foam, plastic, paper, tin.

I was wondering does the size of the box make a difference in the level of sound that escapes the box? Also if you knew any other materials i could use?

Interesting topic. Generally the amount if space a sound wave must travel before encountering your soundproof material is a variable. Since you are comparing materials, this will be a controlled variable. As long as the INSIDE volume of your boxes are the same, you shouldn't have an issue. Just remember to document this in the report and test setup data. A follow on set of experiments would be to reperform with different sized boxes, 12 in3, 24 in3, etc...

Good luck,