if a tree falls in a forest and nobdy is around to here it does it make a sound?

Answer 1

the tree displaces air and hits the ground creating vibrations. Vibrations in air equals sound, even if no one hears it. Now... the real question should be, If a tree fell in a vacuum....

Answer 2

I think we should distinguish between the vibrations in the air caused by the falling tree (which we happen to call sound waves) and the experience we have when those waves hit our ears and are translated into nerve impulses in our brains. The experience we have is the sound; the waves are just vibrations in the air. So, I would say there is no sound if there are no hearing endowed creatures (humans, dogs, etc) close enough to hear it.

Answer 3

Sound waves need three things to be a sound. Something to make the sound waves, a medium for the waves to travel through, and something to receive the waves and turn them into sound. Therefore, if a tree falls (this makes the sound waves), and there is air around (this provides a medium for the waves to travel through), but there are no ears around (to receive the waves and change them into sound), then technically, there is no sound.

Answer 4

This is a perception thing
And, technically NO--- if nothing is around that perceives sound all that is created here is soundwaves or vibrations within the air
Sound only happens when the soundwaves are perceived by something or someone with the ability to DETECT soundwaves and preceive them AS sound !!

Answer 5

Yes, it will make a sound, because you can capture the sound on a taperecorder. But your question raises another and deeper point. Does the observer affect the process? In quantum physics, yes (atleast in some cases). In normal world (Newtonian), no.

Answer 6

Technically, no it doesn't. It produces wave length disturbances that would be perceived as sound IF there were some organism or device capable of interpreting them as sound. Without something or someone to process the waves there is no actual sound.

Answer 7

Of course .. sound is a compression wave in the atmosphere whether anyone hears it or not. A corollary is if a stick of dynamite explodes in your room and you're not there to hear or see it did it really explode ?

Answer 8

If no one is around to hear it, then no one is around to see it (valid assumption), so how do you know it falls in the first place?

Answer 9

Yes it does....just because we can't hear it,it still makes noise.

For every action......there is a reaction.

The cracking of the wood,rustling of the leafs and branches.

Answer 10

Yes. It is the sound of one hand clapping ☺


Doug