If a tree falls

Thanks you Ms Brooke, IT DOES CREAT SOUND WAVES FFFFFFFS

 

So if I tap my finger, people in China can hear it?

 

No, but it makes a sound, never does it say in the question that people in china hear it

 

It obviously makes a sound.

 

nope not owned... especially when you said this more than once and even other people dis agreed

got proof?

 

it does because sound is waves in the air. when the tree falls air waves will be moved making sound. it will make a noise

 

Yes, that is, if they have excellent hearing.

And torque, i'm beginning to think you're 10 years old... you sound like an idiot in every response you give to a quote.

 

Well, the commonly accepted logic combined with the laws of physics, not to mention common sense, lead us to the conclusion that irrelevant as to whether or not anybody is around, a sound will be produced. I see no reason why this question puzzles people beyond the prompted question: How does one define sound?

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The term "sound" is rather vague, as it encompasses different interpretentions and representations of sound. In order to answer this question truthfully, we must first establish what we define as sound with sufficient precision.

It seems that at the moment the definitions that are most common are:

A/ Sound is the label for the sound waves that are vibrations of molecules.
B/ Sound is the label for the product of the chemical translation of this stimuli.

If you define sound as A then it does make a sound.
If you define sound as B then it does not.

However, if you do define sound as just A or B then you are denying one as being a valid definition of sound, and clearly they are both valid for different purposes. But no despair, there is another option.

Let's do some maths.

We'll define it as...

A = 1
B = 0

Therefore

1 = Sound
0 = No sound

Now, we have already established that the term "sound" is a vague one.
However, because of this ambiguity, it is necessary to include both terms when answering the question, at least if it is to be answered sufficiently, as I said. So we'll need to take both A AND B, along with any other common definition of sound, and put them together, or else it will not be sufficient.
We'll call this new definition, which is ironically, the original definition (besides all sides being interpreted as valid), C.

Using maths, this can be simply displayed as A + B = C.

So if 1 + 0 = 1, and 1 = Sound, then we can conclude that a sound is made.

If you want me to explain why 1 represents sound and 0 represents no sound I will, but it would take a sizeable amount of text that I am not willing to post if not necessary.

 

this is a subject that has no answer, you can argue either way, but of course it makes a sound. it's just i can't prove it. :\

plus its impossible to even test cause if nothings there then how can you test it?lol

 

I believe it does make a sound.

Due to sounds, or sound waves, wouldn't there be some kind of stress on a tree? Like if a tree fell in a forest, what if the other trees around it had "stress", and therefor something happened to them. I know this is a stretch, but could it be possible?

(I thought of this idea from the "human stress syndrome" posted on the previous page)

 

Alright this is the dumbest question ever, of course it makes a sound, so what if you can't hear it?

If Brittany Spears lip sings a song does she really make a sound?
No.

 

you still have not proven my question right or wrong

 

ALl other cases of trees fallen have proven that it makes a sound, so incase there is nothing to interfere it makes a sound.

 

If no one is around, no one can hear it, because of the sound waves not being able to reach you. But, say you are across the street in a house, and the tree falls, it will be possible to hear.

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xRS89LyRgNw

The tree fell and there was a sound. Someone being there or not doesn't change the fact that it made a sound. Sorry but your thread makes very little sense.

 

it does since how do you know that when your there its not something else making a sound?

 

Adding together definitions of sound has nothing to do with whether a falling tree makes a sound or not.

Sound is shock waves moving through a medium of fluid particles (I would not call an earthquake sound). To hear it is to have your ear pick up the vibrations, transfer them into your brain, and have your consciousness recognize it.

Onto the question: If a tree falls in the forest, and nobody hears it, does it make a sound?

Hmm, this seems to be a question generated to make us reflect upon the fact that we cannot prove the existence of the unobservable. Consider our homes, when nobody is around. Yes, pink, sentient elephants could dance around, but is that likely? Obviously not. So, yes, we technically cannot prove that unobserved falling trees make no noise, but as there is no valid reason to think that it wouldn't, we would all do well to accept that it does, and not be so distraught about it.

 

however it is not a fact

which does not make it true

 

Torque please just accept the fact that it does make a sound. There is no way to prove it but it obviously does. You know it. There is no reason why it should not make a sound. If someone is there it does make a sound, if they are not there how does that affect it making a sound or not? Tell me that

 

It's not a fact, true, because it cannot be proven completely true. The only things that can be proven true, however, are tautologies! Consider:

If X = A, then B.
X = A.
Therefore, B.

Is that not obvious, and self-evident? Yet, those are the only things that can be known for certain! Your parents existence could be merely an illusion, the screen that you look upon, a lie! Have you heard of the "brain in a vat" example? What you see is based upon electric signals in the brain, which could, theoretically, be replicated! Yet do you question the truth of everything you see around you? Do you treat your family and friends as if they don't really exist? Or do you accept that such things are theoretically possible, but realize that the odds of them being true are incredibly slim?