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Can you hear the shape of a drum?


Highfield Campus



Building: 56

Age suitable for:
  • All ages


Accessibility alert:
  • Loud sounds
Visit:   



Can two drums with different shapes make the same sound? This question was posed long ago and is surprisingly difficult to answer. Come and try for yourself!

Our Mathematicians will show you some exciting visualisations of sound waves to help you detect the answer to this question. You can learn how the shape of an instrument affects the sound waves it produces, and why the elementary particles in our world could be the result of waves traveling in hidden extra dimensions.

Whether you're interested in Music, Maths, how sound works, or everything in between, this is the activity for you!