if a tree falls in a forest and there is nothing there to hear it, do you still say its a sound?

Question: if a tree falls in a forest and there is nothing there to hear it, do you still say its a sound?

Asked by flick to Hermine, Katy, Laura, Nathalie, Paula on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: General.
- Nathalie Pettorelli answered on 17 Jun 2010:
  
  Hi there,
  
  A forest would never be empty of things able to hear it – so yes, I’d say it’s a sound 🙂
- Paula Salgado answered on 17 Jun 2010:
  
  Very philosophical of you, flick! 😉
  
  Physically, sure there is as the air vibrates with the impact of the tree.
  
  Philosophically, I personally think yes. What do you think?
- Katy Mee answered on 17 Jun 2010:
  
  I refer you to the definition of sound as given by Wikipedia:
  
  “Sound is a travelling wave which is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations”
  
  Sound must be at a level sufficiently strong to be heard, therefore the falling tree would not still make the sound if nothing was there to hear it. However, several stories claim that the trees have eyes (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; Lord of the Rings etc) so maybe they have ears too. Who is to say the tree can’t hear itself falling?
- Hermine Schnetler answered on 17 Jun 2010:
  
  Ah the enlightened question, used in the simpsons to improve Bart Simpsons mini golf game. This depends on how you look at sound. Do you define sound as the concept of it is the particles vibrating, or do you define sound as what you hear because of the particles vibrating. If you define it as the first then yes, if the other then no.
- Laura Dixon answered on 17 Jun 2010:
  
  There’s still sound vibrations so technically there is a sound but some say a sound, without an ear to hear it, isn’t a sound.

Question: if a tree falls in a forest and there is nothing there to hear it, do you still say its a sound?

Comments