Sound pressure

Okay kiddo, sound pressure is like the force of air pushing against your ears when you hear a sound. Have you ever heard a loud noise that made your ears hurt? That's because the sound had a lot of pressure!

When you make a sound, like clapping or talking, it creates tiny waves in the air. These waves move through the air until they reach your ears. When they get there, they make your eardrums vibrate, which sends a signal to your brain telling you what you're hearing.

But the pressure of the sound wave makes a big difference in how loud it sounds to you. If a sound has a lot of pressure, it will be very loud and might even hurt your ears. If it has less pressure, it will be quieter and won't hurt your ears.

Scientists measure sound pressure using something called a decibel meter. A decibel meter tells you how much force the sound is making on your ears. Some sounds, like a jet engine or a jackhammer, can be very loud and have a lot of sound pressure. Other sounds, like a whisper or a feather falling, have very little sound pressure and are very quiet.

So, next time you hear a loud noise, remember that it's not just the noise itself that matters - it's also how much pressure it's putting on your ears!