Final answer:
Makayla's ability to distinguish between the instruments despite them playing the same note is likely due to her having a strong pitch perception or perfect pitch, while the size of musical instruments can give clues about their pitch range when distinguishing between high-pitch and low-pitch sounds without hearing them.
Step-by-step explanation:
Makayla and Noah are experiencing different perceptual abilities when listening to music. Makayla's ability to distinguish the various instruments playing the same note while Noah cannot is best explained by the concept of pitch perception and possibly the phenomenon known as perfect pitch. Typically, humans have excellent relative pitch, which allows them to differentiate between sounds with frequencies that differ by 0.3% or more. In contrast, perfect pitch is a rare ability that enables some individuals to identify specific musical notes, like A-sharp, C, or E-flat, just by hearing them. This could be why Makayla can distinguish the different instruments.
Regarding the original task of identifying which instrument plays high-pitch sounds and which plays low-pitch sounds without hearing them: The size of musical instruments is directly related to the wavelengths of sound they produce. Generally, smaller instruments like a piccolo produce high-pitch sounds, which means short wavelengths, while larger instruments like a tuba produce low-pitch sounds, which correspond to longer wavelengths. Thus, if you observe two unknown instruments, their relative size can give you a clue about their pitch range.