Introduction:
Kia Ora everyone, for these past 2 sciences lessons we’ve been making our very own purerehua. Before making one we watched a little short video showing us what the purerehua does and what sound it makes, purerehua is actually a traditional Maori musical instrument. You hold the string and wrap it around your hand and then swing it round and round until it makes noise, the harder you spin it the sound becomes louder.
Equipment:
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- Craftknife
- String
- Colour markers/pencils if you want
- pencil
What is a Purerehua made out of?
Purerehua is made out of wood specifically native timber like totara or rimu. It can also be made out of bone or pounamu, purerehua (newzealand greenstone) also has a very strong string or cord attached to it to spin it round.
What does the design on our pūrerehua relates to?
For our pūrerehua design we chose a shark because my buddy and I like sharks and we like the look of it. Another thng we added was a blue jellyfish on top because me and my buddy love the colour blue and we also like the design of the jellyfish. As you can tell the theme we were going for was sea life and the the beautiful creatures in the ocean.
What sound did you hear when spinning the purerehua fast and slow?
When spinning the purerehua slow you could hear a light whistle type of sound. When spinning it fast is was just a slightly louder whistle with high pitched sound.
Why did spinning the pūrerehua at different speeds changed the sound?
Spinning the purerehua at different speeds changes the sound because it changes the frequency of the vibrations. A faster spin creates a higher frequency, which makes a higher pitch. A slower spin creates a lower frequency, making a lower pitch. The amplitude of the vibrations can also affect the volume/loudness, with bigger vibrations making a louder sound.