if a tree falls in a forest and no one to hear it, does it make a sound?

Answer 1

Of course it does.
So if i farted so load my bum hurt but i was listenig to my mp3 player really loady with headphones at the time and no one was around does it mean it didnt make a noise??

Answer 2

If a tree falls in a forest of course it would make a sound. The impact of the tree hitting the ground must make some sort of noise. If a tape recorder was placed in a forest and a tree fell and someone listened to the recording it would have the sound. It is probably a thumping noise.

Answer 3

When a tree falls, molecules around the tree will vibrate due to the large force resulting from the potential energy of the tree. this vibration results in the sound we hear.

These molecules will transfer the vibration from one molecule to the next until the vibration is almost negligible and hence the sound would be softer, the further we are from this tree.

In conclusion, yes, the tree will make a sound when it falls. However, whether the tree, in itself, makes a sound, I will leave it to you to decide as some people say that trees do indeed make very high frequency noises when it is "killed".

Answer 4

Well, if you think of sound as being a series of vibrations travel ling through a medium of some sorts, we find that it is a phenomenon of mechanical waves. A falling tree of course will produce such vibrational disturbances that travel through the ground, air, and adjacent waterways that can easily be either heard or felt even if there is no person, organism, or entity in the vicinity conscious enough to hear or feel such disturbances. So, to answer your question, yes, such a tree will produce a sound even if their is nothing to perceive it.
In a literal sense, your question is one of occurrence or existence, rather than perception. When you mention the word "sound", you are of course referring not to the biological phenomena of sensory detection and attunement, of which hearing is a part of, but rather to the physical concept of sound energy being emanated from a source within a system.

Answer 5

this is a 'zen' question designed to make the thinker ponder on the nature of sound, humanity, perception, nature and the linkage between the 'observer' and the action.

unfortunately, 'physics' trumps all of these.... and we can easily answer a resounding 'YES - sound is a vibration in air, and a falling tree, impacting the ground will definitely cause a vibration in the air'

physics: 1
Zen: 0

Answer 6

It's relative, yes it does make a sound but there is no one to hear the sound. The sound however could be recorded, any nature programme gives you an idea of this, as in whale song, and elephant communications.

Answer 7

Yes. The noise is from the action of it falling and its impact with the ground. The noise still exists even if there aren't any ears to pick up the sound waves.

Answer 8

Yes, it makes a sound. Trees don't put that noise on just for the benefit of the logger.

Answer 9

Yes! The impact with the ground still causes vibrations in the earth. Anyway, just cos there are no humans around, what about squirrels, bears and birds?

Answer 10

Yes