If a tree falls in a forest but no one is around, does it make a sound?

Answer 1

Good question. Depends on the definition of "sound." Is sound physical vibrations, or must sound be processed and understood by an organism to count as sound.

I say the latter. No, it's not a sound if nobody hears it, because I think that processing and interpreting physical vibrations is inherent to the meaning of sound.

Answer 2

Of course the tree makes a sound!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The sound waves that carry the sound hits my ear, and then, I HEAR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I always got a kick out of people asking this question.

Think of it this way: The tree begins to fall. The fibers of tree are breaking away, either from other parts of the tree or the ground. The branches of the tree are hitting the branches of other trees, leaves are flying everywhere. The tree finally makes an impact and comes to rest, either on the ground or leaning against another tree. In all this activity, there are vibrations created. These are called SOUNDWAVES. Now, say a person is in a totally sound proof cabin within the range of the soundwaves created by this tree. Now, he can't hear the tree falling, but by some coincidence, he happens to open the door of the cabin just as the tree is falling. Do the forces of nature suddenly say,"Oops, there's someone here, turn the sound back on?" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Why? Because the sound and the soundwaves that carried the sound were there to begin with. The person opening the door could hear the sound. THE SOUND OF THE TREE FALLING DIDN'T JUST NOT EXIST WHEN THE PERSON WAS IN THE SOUND PROOF CABIN AND THEN SUDDENLY BEGIN WHEN THE PERSON OPENED THE DOOR. IF THAT IS SO, THEN YOU'LL ALSO HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY THE SOUND SUDDENLY TURNED ON WHEN SOMEONE WAS PRESENT!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for yelling.

The more people ask this question, the more I believe the people asking the question are idiots, or are inclined towards being idiots or have some kind of agenda based on psychology. Don't be an idiot JuJu. And don't ever follow, trust or believe in anyone that tries to convince you that when a tree falls, that it might just decide to fall in silence if there is no one around, no people, no animals or no birds to hear it. But do believe that whoever tries to convince you of the silent trees is going to see what else they can make you believe. Now there's something to think about. So don't go deaf. Believe in the sound.

Thankyou

P.S. As far as claiming that the vibrations are not sound, unless someone hear's it, I believe is some kind of weird personal issue, some bizarre insanity or deafness on the part of those that believe that ALTHOUGH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, WHEN A TREE A FALLS, IT DOES SO IN COMPLETE SILENCE!!!! AGAIN, THE PERSON WHO ASKED YOU THIS, JU JU, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WAS REALLY ASKING," ARE YOU EASILY CONVINCED BY PERSUASION, AND, WHAT OTHER BIZARRE THINGS CAN YOU BE CONVINCED OF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHEN SOMEONE ASKS YOU THIS QUESTION, YOU SHOULD PRETEND LIKE YOU BELIEVE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, BUT IN YOUR OWN MIND, KNOW THAT IT'S HOGWASH. MAYBE YOU'LL FIND OUT THE SECRETS TO SOME OF THEIR OTHER MAGIC TRICKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oops.
Sorry.
I yelled again. :(
Just trying to give you some food for thought :)
And encourage you to think for yourself.

Answer 3

Underground man has hit the nail on the head.

However,consider the following:
!00,000 people are in a stadium and a tree falls in the middle of the field..does it make a sound?
The 100,000 people are all deaf... does it make a sound?

As an Empirical Generalisation, Every falling tree does the same thing.Therefore doesn't the un-observed tree do the same?

Answer 4

A simple case of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.
Until it is observed, the tree both does AND doesn't make a sound.

Where's the problem?

Of course, the real question is:

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, do all the other trees laugh????

Answer 5

Hmmmm......Someone ,a person...we assume hears it or does not,processes the sound through the human ear...human ear... not present to process so no sound? By a logical extension of this line of thought then without a human presence to verify the existence of the forest through one of the senses it ceases to exist. This explains why 500,00 children can starve to death each day...because when one changes the channel with the impudent pictures THANK GOD they cease to exist! I am so glad because this is so troubling. And so also if a person cries alone in the wilderness of a land that is being taken over by the movement of the Sahara Desert Eastward...when they cry out to a world that does not care it is so great that not only do they not make a sound but they do not exist! Thank you YAHOO ANSWERS!!!For this compassionate relief of my troubled mind.

Answer 6

Definitely. Let me put it in a more better perspective. Consider that right now there is a concert of your favorite band or singer, and you are not there. Does that mean that they are not singing and that their instruments cannot be heard by the audience? You are not there, however they are still making noise right? Also consider you are in your room listening to music loudly on your stereo and outside the ambulance with the siren is passing rapidly by, solely because YOU did not hear it does not mean it did not make noise. Considering no one is around just think about the many people who walk alone in desolated areas and are assaulted or get a heart attack, not because nobody saw it or heard it means they did not scream or yelled for help.

Answer 7

Well, here's the thing, if nothing with ears is around it isn't a sound. But in reality, there is always something with ears in a forest. A sound isn't a sound until it is received is the point of the question, but there is always something in a forest to hear it.

Answer 8

If a tree falls in a forest but no woman is around, Is it still some guys fault ?

Answer 9

Yes and No.

When the tree falls it causes molecules to vibrate, making sound waves. If you consider sound waves to be sound, then yes. If you consider sound to be what you hear, than no. Sound waves enter your ears and are processed by the brain, so if no one (with a brain) is there, no sound is heard. It all just depends on your perspective of sound.

Answer 10

Of course it does ... Physics 101. Energy cannot be created or destroyed - it can only change form. Hence when the tree hits the ground, the energy from falling it turned into sound waves. Just like the BOOM when two cars crash together. Pax- C