STEM Activity: Amplify the Fun for National Vinyl Record Day

Today’s music lovers are familiar with the many digital platforms that stream their favorite bands and artists. However, listeners of all ages enjoy going back in time to a classic form of playing music: vinyl records.

Vinyl records produce music by amplifying sound waves recorded into the grooves of a plastic disc. Celebrate National Vinyl Record Day on Aug. 12 by making your own DIY sound amplifier!

Materials Needed:

• Clay (optional)
• Construction paper
• Craft items (stickers, feathers, markers, glitter glue, etc.)
• Empty tissue box (any standard size or shape)
• Paper
• Pen or pencil
• Scissors
• Small disposable cups (paper or plastic)
• Smartphone or tablet (for playing music)
• Tape

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Part 1:

1. Using a smartphone or tablet, create a playlist of your favorite songs or sounds. You also can record your own music or sounds using a recording app on the device. Consider these questions as you create your playlist:
   • Do you have a favorite musician? Which of their songs are most popular?
   • Does your playlist have a theme?
   • How do the songs on your playlist make you feel?
      
2. Press play and listen to your playlist as you build your sound amplifier.

Part 2:

1. Position your empty tissue box so that the opening is facing you.
    
2. Using scissors, cut a rectangular slot into what is now the top of the box, making sure it’s large enough to slide the bottom of your device into when held vertically. Depending on the width of your device, you may need to rotate the box to ensure you have enough room on the top of the box for a slot.
   
   Tip: Use a pen or pencil to trace around the bottom of your device to make sure your slot is not too small or too large. Poke a hole in the center to make it easier to start cutting out the slot.
    
3. Use your scissors to cut the bottom off a disposable cup so that it has two open ends. You will need to add at least one cup to your amplifier, but you may add more cups if you choose.
    
4. With the top of the disposable cup facing you, insert the bottom portion of the cup into the original opening of the tissue box.
    
5. Secure the cup using tape or modeling clay. Consider the position and angle of the cup and how this might affect the sound.
    
6. Inspect your sound amplifier by checking the following:
   • Can you easily slide your device into the slot?
   • Is the cup secured to the tissue box?
   • Are there any large gaps around the outside edges of the cup?
      
7. If your slot is too large or there are gaps around the cup(s), cover the extra space with construction paper and tape or fill in the gaps with modeling clay. The only openings in your sound amplifier should be the slot for your device and the attached cup.
    
8. Unleash your creativity using construction paper and craft items to decorate your sound amplifier and make it one of a kind.
    
9. Test your sound amplifier by sliding the bottom of your device into the slot you created, then playing the playlist you made.
   
   Tip: In most devices, the speaker is located on the bottom. If the speaker of your device is located on the top, slide the top portion of your device into the sound amplifier.
    
10. Share your sound amplifier by playing music for your friends or family!

What are we discovering?

To create a vinyl record, sound waves, or vibrations, are first captured as electrical signals and saved as audio files in a recording studio. Once recorded, the audio files are refined by mastering engineers to generate a master recording. After the master recording is created, the electrical signals are carved into an aluminum disc with a diamond-tipped needle, creating a master disc. The master disc is then pressed into melted PVC, like a stamp, to make copies of the master recording. These copies are then labeled, packaged and sold to music lovers like you!

To play a vinyl record, a turntable spins the disc while a vibrating needle attached to an arm traces the carved grooves, transforming them into electrical signals. Then, the electrical signals are pushed through an amplifier that increases the amplitude, or height, of the sound waves. The higher the sound wave, the louder the sound!

National Inventors Hall of Fame^® Inductee Emile Berliner invented the gramophone, the first device that used flat, shellac discs to play recorded music. Emerging in the 19th century, this innovation later allowed for the inexpensive mass duplication of recordings.

National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee Peter C. Goldmark later revolutionized the music playback industry with his invention of the long-playing (LP) record in 1948, making it possible to listen to entire symphonic movements and other long recordings without interruption. The LP record was made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), invented by National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee Waldo L. Semon, replacing shellac records with durable plastic that could be produced in a variety of colors.

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