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Someone asked me this question and I have not as yet figured it out.

If sound is the interpretation of vibrations travelling through air then one is tempted to say that there is no sound unless there's someone to hear it.

But then again, those vibrations are there, but can they be said to be sound/noise? Does sound depend on the interpreter's presence or not?

2006-06-29 04:25:29 · 45 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities Philosophy

45 answers

YES AND IT WILL ECHO

2006-06-29 04:28:24 · answer #1 · answered by Curious 5 · 1 2

I agree with your analysis--it all depends on what someone means by the phrase "make a sound." If the presence of sound waves means that a sound was created, the answer is "yes." If it requires someone (or something--like a tape recorder) before we say that a sound was made, the answer is "no."

Which is the better answer? Obviously it makes more sense to say that the tree did make a sound when it fell (assuming the natural laws of physics are in place, so sound waves were created when the crash occurred).

For example, you are sitting in the house at night with a companion, you are both reading books or watching TV or eating or whatever. (It doesn't matter what you are doing.) Your companion turns to you and says, "Did you hear that?" Suppose you did not hear anything out of the ordinary? Does that mean that the object, whatever it was, made a sound for your companion but not for you? No. It simply means that your companion happened to RECEIVE the sound and you did not. But the sound was there to be received--you simply failed to do so.

The same with the tree in the forest. To MAKE a sound means to produce sound waves. That is what is being MADE. The answer has nothing to do with the reception of those sound waves.

Of course, the better question is, "If a man says something and there is no woman around to hear him say it, is he still wrong?"

2006-06-29 04:37:22 · answer #2 · answered by tdw 4 · 0 0

This age old question cannot be answered reliably because it depends on your definition of sound - and as such the answer varies.

According to Webster's dictionary, sound has many meanings: (1) a particular auditory impression, (2) the sensation perceived by the sense of hearing and (3) mechanical radiant energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in a material medium (as air) and is the objective cause of hearing.

Obviously if you use definition (1) then there is no sound, because there is only "auditory impression" if someone hears it. This would also be true for definition (2).

BUT if you use definition (3) then you would say yes, it does make a sound because it does generate mechanical energy in the form of pressure waves.

Personally, I believe there is no "sound" if there is no hearing. If every living thing were deaf we would have no word for sound. And the only way you could tell if a tree fell is if you watched it!

2006-06-29 04:36:46 · answer #3 · answered by cardboard cowboy 5 · 0 0

the answer is yes. when the tree fell the force of the fall created the waves in the air that our ears pick up as sound. The falling tree does indeed make a sound but there was no ear to hear it. Just because you don't hear it (or see it or feel it or anthing else) does not mean that it does not exist. That is true for more than just trees falling where no one can hear

If the answer were no then there would be no sound anywhere because there are thousands and thousands of deaf people that wound not hear the sounds.

2006-06-29 04:33:44 · answer #4 · answered by digimutt 7 · 0 0

If we trust the laws of physics, then it is undeniable that the tree makes a sound as it falls. Sound waves will still travel out from their source, through the air. The waves will still echo off other objects such as the mountains, rocks and canyon walls and spread as they make their way through the forest. Creatures of all kind including plants, insects and rodents will feel the vibrations, and hear the tree fall. Just because a human wasn't there to hear the sound, doesn't mean that the sound didn't exist!

2006-06-29 04:37:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Yes it makes a sound.
Take a ripple in some water. You cant hear that but you can see the ripples travel. Same with sound waves, the sound will happen if you are there or not, just like ripples in the water.


Better to ask what Yakko asked:
"if a tree falls on a mime in the forest and noone was around, would anyone care?"

2006-06-29 04:31:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Yes, sound is sound. If a tree falls there is a loud noise. Maybe Noone can hear it but it is still there. An animal may hear it. The vibrations are there and thats all to it.

2006-07-01 12:22:32 · answer #7 · answered by i need you. 2 · 0 0

of course it makes a sound... sound is a proven unconrivertable fact. it does not need to be wittnesed every time to prove its there. most humans can only hear sound between 20 - 20,000 Hz , animals can hear sound much much higher and lower then that. So saying a tree makes no noise if no one is there to hear it is like saying what the dog hears from a dog whistle (wich is ultrasound) is not sound, simply because we cannot hear it. or the sound a manatee or dolphin make when communicating to each other wich is very low (infrasound) does not exist because we cannot hear it. scientist have proven these sounds do exist by using machines that record the noises and play them back in tones we can hear. so simply put.... my answer is a resounding YES!! lol
thanks
sage

2006-06-29 05:25:33 · answer #8 · answered by buymymk 2 · 0 0

The vibrations in the air are sound. Whether someone hears it or not is immaterial. It is a human centric question. If there were no humans around, who cares?

If an earthquake happens in a completely unpopulated region did it really happen? Of course it did. It just didn't effect anybody.

-Dio

2006-06-29 04:30:44 · answer #9 · answered by diogenese19348 6 · 0 0

I know the sun set yesterday. How could I possibly know this when I was in bed asleep long before the event took place? I know that if I look at the sun to long I'll go blind, do I have to experience it to know it? "Of course not!" I can know that, as long as the water was not frozen, when someone tosses a pebble in a pool of water, it will cause ripples of some magnitute, my being present to see it is not a determining factor in the enevitable taking place, even if beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Simply because an occurence can not seen, heard, nor even believed or understood does not dismiss the fact that it occurs.

2006-06-29 04:53:09 · answer #10 · answered by Jeri 2 · 0 0

Yes it makes a sound. The vibrations will continue to travel until they run out of energy. The sound will still occur.

2006-06-29 04:30:18 · answer #11 · answered by older hippie chick 3 · 0 0

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