It can be the burner and you may be able to check it like woodchuck said but the switches go bad a lot more often on glass tops. To check the burner first disconnect power then remove the back of the range to access the back of the switch. Once off, look at the back of the switch to the burner...
If it is a GE you need to check for water leaks because most of the time when they get noisy like that the tub seal is leaking water. To check this remove the front and start the washer then look at the bottom of the tub where the transmission enters. Watch for a leak and if it does leak you...