If a tree falls in the middle of the woods and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

Answer 1

Greetings!

This is a favorite type of question for Philosophy 101 instructors to use in their class.
Those more sophisticated do not view it as a philosophical question but instead a question dealing with physics.
So then, the in a nutshell, the person who you want to hear or not hear has no bearing on the laws of physics which will take place with the tree falling. Thus, If you are there you will hear it, and if you are not you will not hear it. The tree will make the sounds none the less.

Good Luck
PS Take three apples from five apples how many apples do you have?

Answer 2

This is the classic question that always seems to crop up when people discuss philosophy. It is also the most stupid question I have ever heard (no offense intended to all the people who have ever asked it or posted it, including you Leester).

It is intended for the answerer to say of course it makes a sound, to which the questioner will then ask, "but how does it make a sound if there isn't anyone to hear it?"

This is the worst philosophy question ever because it doesn't have anything to do with philosophy. It makes a sound because it vibrates the air molecules around it when it falls. This is the bottom line. A sound is created.

An almost acceptable derivation of this question is "If a tree falls in the woods, but no one is there to hear it, does it still make a noise?" This can be argued that a noise is a human qualification for a sound that is bothersome or irritaiting or unpleasant. If it falls it makes a sound but is this sound a noise or just a sound, since no one is there to say, "what's all the noise about?

Answer 3

Yes it does because you can put a tape recorder in the woods and come back after the tree has fallen. You can then play the tape and hear the sound of it falling.

You can also talk about it in the way that sound is just the physical vibration of the air. Therefore the air vibrates and even though it is not measured in anyway it is still affected. Therefore the sound still is because of the physical characteristics it has on the air.

Answer 4

standing trees are making mechanical energy that propagates through matter as a wave,too. but we don't hear with normal ear, we need instrument.
By sound, we commonly mean the vibrations that travel through air and can be heard by humans.
thus, my answer to your question is NO.cause one of the conditions { exist a man to hear},is absent.
however,this is a linguistic fun ,not a philosophical problem,it seem.

Answer 5

I just learned about this in my Psych class. the truth is NO...Sound is caused by waves of molecules, but the waves themselves are not sound. Sound is a psychological event and hence depends on a nervous system to transduce the physical energy of the vibrations to nerve energy. Without a brain to register the physical energy, there can be no sound.

Answer 6

I suspect the trees are just a bunch of show-offs! Waiting for us people to appear, falling down with a bang and giving us heart attacks! When alone, I bet they float down to the ground soundlessly as feathers!

Answer 7

Yep. Creeeeeeaaaaaaaakkkkkrashhhhhh.

Answer 8

It makes a sound since that is physical but does it make a difference to anyone if no one knew? That is the real question.

Answer 9

We don't know for sure do we? But it is pretty rational to assume it does make a sound. Maybe the worms or bugs hear it.

Answer 10

yes it always will...even if you see the tree on its side you know it made a sound when it fell so you didn't need to be there to know that.