DIY Phone Speaker

I can’t promise great sound quality, but this DIY phone speaker will make your phone sound louder and a bit less tinny!

This easy science project is a great for older children and useful too!

You’ll Need

Cardboard tube

2 plastic cups

Scissors

Phone with a speaker at the bottom

How to make a DIY speaker

Carefully cut a hole in the side of each plastic cup so the cardboard tube fits inside tightly.

Attach a cup to each end of the tube.

Cut a thin slit in the top of the cardboard tube just big enough to hold your phone.

Choose some music and listen to the sound in and out of the speaker.

It should sound louder when the phone is inside the tube.

Why does it work?

When the phone plays music outside the tube the sound spreads out all around, but when you put the phone inside the cardboard tube the sound is directed down the tube towards the plastic cups and out from there! The cups focus the sound waves pointing them in one direction rather than scattered all around.

A megaphone works in a similar way. When a person speaks normally the sound scatters immediately, but a megaphone channels the sound towards the subject instead. This is why people sometimes cup their hands around their mouth to shout! Find out more about megaphones with Wonderopolis.

Print Instructions for DIY iPhone Speaker

Extension tasks for the DIY Phone Speaker

Experiment with different sized tubes and cups to find the best speaker. Does it matter if you use paper cups instead of plastic?

Last Updated on July 2, 2020 by Emma Vanstone