If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Question

please explain

Answer 1

Of course it makes a sound. Just because no-one is around to hear it doesn't mean that it didn't happen. For example once of your cat's meow when your not home. Did they really make a noise even though you couldn't hear it. Of course they did!

Answer 2

It makes a sound...but not a noise.

"Sound" exists due to the interaction of the environment, independent of any potential listeners.  

"Noise" requires a listener to hear a sound and qualify its existence.

Answer 3

of course, what are you retarted?

Answer 4

Without someone or something to hear a sound is just vibrations.

Answer 5

Only if it moves air.

Answer 6

Yes, it does. Just because no one is there to witness it doesn't mean it makes no sound.

Answer 7

Woods are normally full of animals and insects and they all have ears.

I suppose if it's in the future and everything is dead from global warming, then nobody would hear it.

Answer 8

squirrels are people too.......they have ears don't they?

Answer 9

Yes because sound still exits with out someone to here it.

Answer 10

I'll simply add that the crash creates sound waves by causing the molecules in the are to vibrate. So the sound is indeed there; it is not perceived however because the receptors (organ of corti in the ears) are absent.  

Answer 11

What? Excuse me? Did you say something?

Answer 12

Yes,  why wouldn't it?

It is the force of one object (the tree) crashing into another (the ground.)

Everyone KNOWS it makes a sound due to the force.

Just because no one is there to hear it has nothing to do with it, and should not be used as a basis for determining the answer to this question.

ONCE AGAIN (for the ones who still feel the need to ask "But duhhhhh if your not there to hear it then how do you know it made a sound?")

BECAUSE IS IT COMMON SENSE! IT IS A PART OF THE LAWS OF SCIENCE! IF YOU ARE NOT THERE, YOU MISS OUT BUT THE FACT REMAINS THE d**n TREE MADE A SOUND DUE TO THE FORCE THAT WAS PROJECTED FROM HITTING THE GROUND!

Now thank you for allowing your ignorance to give a me a stroke at 10AM!

Wait...nevermind. I'm not even going to bother anymore because you have mr. Science down there trying to give some "big word" answer and then you have hippie-Zen man with his bs, so I give up. I gave the answer. Simple, straight, cut and dry. No BS and no acting smarter then I am.

Jesus, these people make me want to shoot something sometimes.

Answer 13

If a tree falls on Tiger Woods and nobody is around to hear it will he still win the U.S. Open?

Answer 14

The point of the question isn't to have an answer.  Actually, the point is, specifically, to not have a readily available answer, so as to induce deeper thinking.  It's a koan; a Buddhist riddle.

What, really, is a sound?  It's really just vibrations in the atmosphere that your ear detects, which your brain interprets as sound.  

Answer 15

Yes and no. If a tree falls in the forest it will make a sound no matter if anyone is there or not. But if there isn't anyone there to hear it how do you know it makes a sound at all if you weren't there to hear it?  

Answer 16

Of course it does.

Sound can be present without anyone there to hear it - just like any other occurence.  If it rains in the woods and no one is around, the ground still gets wet, right? So, I know that was a lame example, but it's the same with sound...

Answer 17

If a man stands in the middle of the forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him . . . is he still wrong?