Ummmm???? i wonder?

Question

so if a tree falls and nobody's there to hear it does it make a sound

i know if you get all scientific its like duh it makes a sound but how do you actually know if nobody was there to hear it

cause God could totally make that tree silent so how do you actually know if it makes a sound or not and i know you could video tape it but then you'd be able to hear it later so it wouldnt really matter but if nobody were ever to hear it would it actually make and sound

tell me what you think cause this question actually boggles my mind a lot

thanks

Answer 1

It most certainly makes a sound, the air it displaces carries the sound.

Answer 2

Scientifically, sound travels faster in solid grounds...it just merely depends on the size of an object and to what particular thing it falls on...if it falls in a barren soil, it would create lesser sound than in a concrete one. Distance varies, the nearer you are to the falling object, the louder you can hear the sound it creates.

Just seek the help of a Physics teacher....if you do have any doubts about this simple answer. Thanks for asking..."Curiousity and being a keen Observer leads to learning."

Answer 3

of course it makes a sound. even if no one is around to hear it. i dont know why people get so scientific about it. its a pretty simple question to me.

Answer 4

Theoretically, the tree would make a sound. The transfer of energy from the tree to the ground would produce a sound, but the loudness of the sound depends on the tree size, and the kind of soil the ground is made of.

Answer 5

If the flap of a butterfly wing in South America can change the weather surely every tree that falls makes a difference in the world within which we live.

The problem is not that the tree makes a sound, of course it does, the problem is that we are not listening.

There is one interesting thing, since you bring up the "Big Boy" in the sky, there is a verse in Revelations that says ". . . and there was silence in heaven for about half an hour . . ." -- if there can be silence in heaven, surely there could be silence anywhere and everywhere.

^-^

d

Answer 6

I dont know...its a good question..ur rite if u get all scientific about it, well duh it makes a sound....true god could make it silent. i dont know what i think cuz i wouldnt care...   :)

Answer 7

It's actually a question posed by one of the Enlightenment philosophers (sorry, I frget which). And--belive it or not, actually had a serious point, beyiond being a way to drive people crazy.

The point of the question was to think about  this" what is sound?  Now, scientifically, we know the answer--but that's not quite wha tthey were driving at.  Their point is this: The sound is a viration.  But is that the same thing as what we perceive.  As far as the observer is concerned--what he/she perceives is the sound--not the vibration itself.  

They pointed out that a person could "hear" sounds in their mind--for example, music they've herad and appear to "replay from memory."  So--the arguement went, "soud--as we perceive it--mus t pe something different from the physical phenomenon, since we can have the perception even if there is no physical event.

From this persepctive--the question "if no one is there, does the tree make a sound" makes sense-and has the very surprising answer: no! Why? because, if we define "sound" as what we experience, and there is no one there to experience theevent--there is no sound--because there is no "experence./perception"

Hope this doesn't leave you walking around the house all evening muttering to yurself! :)