If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound?

Answer 1

Well, this depends on what you define "sound" as, according to dictionary.com sound is:
Here are the first five anyhow:

1. the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or other medium.
2.mechanical vibrations transmitted through an elastic medium, traveling in air at a speed of approximately 1087 ft. (331 m) per second at sea level.
3.the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause: the sound of music.
4.any auditory effect; any audible vibrational disturbance: all kinds of sounds.
5.a noise, vocal utterance, musical tone, or the like: the sounds from the next room.


Number 1: Going by this definition, the tree would not make a sound as the vibrations would not be recepted by someone's ears.

Number 2-4: Going by any of these defintions, the tree would make a sound, because in these definitions the sound vibrations do have to occur but do not necessarily have to be heard by someone.


Thus, this question is unable to be answered, unless you pick a definite definition for sound, and there isn't one, thus, this question cannot possibly be rightfully answered.

Answer 2

What we call sound is nothing more than vibration. If no one is in the woods to "hear" the tree fall, then it does not make a sound.

Answer 3

And yet another stupid question. I know, I know.... There are no stupid questions. Who ever said that was an idiot! Ok, maybe the question isn't stupid but it sure wasn't very well thought out. It's like asking. "If I cut myself will I bleed?" The only persons who may not be able answer the tree question are those that have been deaf from birth or have IQs of less than 50. So why ask meaningless questions when there are so many that have great meaning and a gazillion others that have real answers?

Answer 4

boy,do i hate this question!of course,it generates sound waves.the animals in the tree and in the forest certainly hear it.even if no one/nothing was there to receive(hear)the sound waves,they would still be generated.this question fallaciously and arrogantly pre-supposes that if no HUMAN BEING was there to hear the sound waves,maybe they never happened.believe me,plenty of noise occured/was heard long b4 our species evolved. i cant believe how many people on here think that "Someone " has to be present to "interprt" the sound.ever see cattle or horses start when a branch falls in the wind?trust me,the branch would still have startled the animals even if u had'nt been present to "interpret" the sound.i mean,u didnt run out and say"watch out,cows,im here to tell u that the falleing branch will make a sound!!!!"

Answer 5

If a actual tree actually fell in the woods for real, then yes, there would be a sound (it just that you didn't here it).

Answer 6

no it does not. trees are made of soundproof matrials. woods are also made of special sound absorbing marshmallows. also, the trees fall so slowly that they dont have the kenetic energy necesary to make a sound.

Answer 7

Do you mean this in a random pointless way? or in a positivistic way? if the latter then it all depends on whether you believe in the fact that anything that you havn't experienced is meaningless. Personally I think that makes no sense because it gets rid of the concept of character in that you can do whatever you want as long as no one else notices.

Answer 8

Yes...it makes sound waves.

If the rest of the question is "and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound?", well, I would still have to say YES.

The sound waves just never landed on eardrums.

Answer 9

No, it makes a vibration. A living organism needs to interpret the vibration into sound. If no one is around to hear it, there is nothing to translate the vibration into sound.

Answer 10

It depends if anyone is around. If no one is, we don't know because no one has been there to hear it. If someone is, yes it does because we've experienced it before.

In real life, yes it does, even with no one around!