Q. Why is an instrument flat when the strings are unstrung?
A. Because the vibrations are too slow; in consequence of which, the sounds produced are not shrill or sharp enough.
Q. Why can persons living a mile or two from
a town hear the bells of the town-church some times, and not at others?
A. Fogs, rain, and snow, obstruct the passage of sound; but when the air is cold and clear, sound is propagated more easily.
Q. Why can we not hear sounds (as distant church bells) in rainy weather, so well as in fine weather?
A. Because the falling rain interferes with the undulations of the sound-waves, and breaks them up.
Q. Why can we not hear sounds (as distant church bells) in snowy weather, so well as in fine weather?
A. Because the falling snow interferes with the undulations of the sound-waves, and stops their progress.