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The Age Old Question?

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it make noise as it is falling?

27 Answers

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  • Jen J
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    one to perplex the masses... but I ask you, what do the voices in your head say?

  • 1 decade ago

    AS it is falling, not much of a noise (except maybe the trunk breaking), but when it hits ground, it'll definately make a noise. Whether or not someone hears it has nothing to do with it. Things make noise with impact. Period. You cannot get around it.

    Granted, some noises are not audible to the human ear. The noise is still made, though.

  • 1 decade ago

    It actually does not make a noise. Noise is produced by the actions of pressure waves on the eardrum. So if there is not an ear drum in the vicinity then no noise would be produced. Only pressure waves in the air would be produced and they would dissipate like waves in a pond as they spread away from the initial point.

  • 1 decade ago

    Oh man, this is one of my favorite quotes. It has so many levels.

    The answer can never really be known. Its just...okay. Like let's say you get home and you turn on the T.V. and on the local news it says some guy died in a car accident.

    Rewind. Now if you hadn't turned on the t.v. and heard that report, and never heard about it previously...could there be a chance that it wouldn't happen?

    I know the majority of the people on hear will be like 'yeah it happened because other people have seen an heard about it before you did,' but I beg to differ.

    Anyway. I hope this is comprehendable. Just another one of my frequent rants.

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  • Paul H
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago

    If you define a noise as something that has to be heard by a person, no. If you define a noise as a disturbance in the sound levels of the area, yes. Subtract 5 points, add 2 to mine.

  • 1 decade ago

    It might not make noise as it is falling, but I believe it makes a noise when it hits the ground.

    New spin.....if a tree falls on a mime in the forest, does the mime make a sound? :D :D :D

  • 1 decade ago

    Why would you even ask that question? Do you really hope to gain some philosophical insight on a yahoo answers forum? There go five of your points, for nothing. Meantime, people are making a killing two points at a time, and simultaneously treating you like a fourth grade science failure.

  • 1 decade ago

    In terms of physics it does.

    when a tree falls anywhere it causes the ground to vibrate

    thus inducing sound

    PS theres always someone to hear it----even if its a bug

  • 1 decade ago

    Yes

  • 1 decade ago

    If there's nobody there to hear it, it wouldn't matter if it made a noise or not, because nobody would know anyway

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I bet if you stood under a falling tree and it squashed you, you would make a noise.

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