Make a Homemade Stethoscope

A stethoscope is fun to make. You can use it to listen to someone else's heart beating, lungs taking in air and expiring CO2, or their tummy rumbling and gurgling. It allows you to learn a lot about the human body. Also, if your child says she isn't hungry and you suspect that she's lying so she doesn't have to eat something she doesn't like, you can listen to her tummy and see if she really isn't hungry by listening for rumbles. There are many other sounds you can listen to besides these.

Steps

1. Get a tube. Then get two funnels. Attach one funnel to one end of the tube, then attach the other to the other end.
2. Now you have a stethoscope. You need a friend, so you can listen to their chest or tummy with it.
3. To listen to your friend's heart, ask them to lift up or remove their shirt. Find a spot on their chest where you can feel their heart beating. Then place one funnel over your ear and hold the other against that spot. You should hear a lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub sound. The "lub" is two of your friend's heart valves closing, and the "dub" is the other two valves closing. If your friend has a slim body frame and a flat tummy you can also listen to their heartbeat through their tummy.
4. To listen to your friend's lungs, ask them to remove their shirt or lift it up. Then hold one funnel to their back or chest and the other to your ear. Ask them to breath in and out through their mouth and listen carefully.
5. To listen to your friend's tummy, ask them to lift up or take off their shirt. Then hold the one funnel against their tummy and the other against your ear. You should hear a rumbling or gurgling noise. This sound comes from air, intestinal gas, digestive juices and smooshed-up food moving along the small intestine. The sound is louder if your friend has just eaten something or if he or she is hungry. Ask your friend to get a big glass of water or another drink. Then listen to his or her tummy again and ask him or her to flex his or her tummy in and out. You should hear a sloshing noise. This comes from the water being shaken up in your friend's tummy.
6. You can also listen to your own chest and tummy with your stethoscope.

Tips

• To avoid sound pollution from hairs, you might want to wet the skin with warm water before you put the stethoscope on it.
• If you only have one funnel, you can just use the one. But the funnel end should be the end you hold against the chest, stomach or back.
• Always listen on the bare skin of the chest, stomach or back. If you put the stethoscope over the shirt, you might also hear the rustling of fabric.
• You might need to listen for some time if listening to your/your friend's heartbeat or tummy, and in all cases you might have to hold the funnel over different areas.

Warnings

• Your stethoscope is for educational purpose and some entertainment value only, or to see through lies. It is not a substitute for professional healthcare. However, if you hear unusual sounds (abnormal heart beats, lung wheezes or crackles or swishing sounds from someone's tummy), seek medical advice.

Things You'll Need

• 2 Funnels
• 1 Tube

See also

• Make a Clay Magnet
• Clean Bakelite
• Make a Siphon
• Build a Homemade Rube Goldberg Machine
• Make Carbon Fiber
• Make Sticky Tack
• Make a Box Styled Gimp
• Glue Plastic
• Make a Tangram
• Create a Packing Tape Sculpture

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