Course Syllabus

PHYS 1755 The Science of Sound and Music Laboratory

Course Description

PHYS 1755 is a laboratory course to accompany PHYS 1750. Students will learn techniques of measurement and data analysis. Music principles from the lecture course will be demonstrated and students will perform experiments to analyze properties of waves, sound perception, and the tonal qualities of musical instruments. (Lab fee required.)

Justification

PHYS 1755 The Science of Sound and Music Laboratory is the counterpart to the lecture course PHYS 1750. This course provides a hands-on experience in analyzing the scientific applications and uses in sound and music production and interpretation. Students will use the scientific method and hypothesis testing in a laboratory setting to explore physical properties of instruments and music that they create. For the natural sciences, science is the systematic inquiry into natural phenomena, organizing and condensing those observations into testable models and hypotheses, theories or laws. The success and credibility of science is anchored in the willingness of scientists to: 1) expose their ideas and results to independent testing and replication by other scientists which requires the complete and open exchange of data, procedures, and materials; 2) abandon or modify accepted conclusions when confronted with more complete or reliable experimental evidence. Adherence to these principles provides a mechanism for self-correction that is the foundation of the credibility of science. (Adapted from a statement by the Panel on Public Affairs of the American Physical Society which was endorsed by the Executive Board of the American Association of Physics Teachers in 1999.)

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Students will delve into many aspects of culture and the world by exploring the physical and biological features of music production and perception. Students will understand the sound produced by various instruments commonly used in different societies and how the sound is analyzed and recorded. This will be assessed through quizzes and labs.
2. A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Students will be engaged with interaction through different sound sources and sound measuring devices. They will learn through hands-on experience in the laboratory and using audio software. This will be assessed through quizzes and labs.
3. A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. Students will be expected to examine interdisciplinary problems involving sound as it moves through its environment and is then interpreted biologically by different individuals. This will be assessed through quizzes and labs.
4. A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. Students will work through laboratory demonstrations and procedures to make predictions of outcomes and then measure the results with varying parameters. They will reach conclusions based on comparisons of their observations with their expectations, adjusting their understanding accordingly. They will be assessed through quizzes and labs.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes

1. Students will use hands-on applications of laboratory equipment to measure quantities relating to sound and waves both directly and indirectly. They will measure periods of oscillation in vibrating systems and use observations to develop formulas to predict the period by changing other variables. Students will make observations of the bending and superposition of light waves as they pass through lenses and diffraction gratings. They will explore and make predictions with vibrating strings and columns of air inside tubes. They will make comparisons of the physical sensation of loudness with the laboratory measurement of sound intensity. Students will use a guided exploration of electricity and magnetism to discover the basic principles that operate in the production, storage, and recreation of sound electronically. They will explore the basic nature of harmony and observe beat frequencies. Their understanding will culminate in the production of their own musical instrument from household materials as they refine and tune their instruments.
   Students will be assessed using quizzes, lab reports, and the final. Students will use hands-on applications of laboratory equipment to measure quantities relating to sound and waves both directly and indirectly. They will measure periods of oscillation in vibrating systems and use observations to develop formulas to predict the period by changing other variables. Students will make observations of the bending and superposition of light waves as they pass through lenses and diffraction gratings. They will explore and make predictions with vibrating strings and columns of air inside tubes. They will make comparisons of the physical sensation of loudness with the laboratory measurement of sound intensity. Students will use a guided exploration of electricity and magnetism to discover the basic principles that operate in the production, storage, and recreation of sound electronically. They will explore the basic nature of harmony and observe beat frequencies. Their understanding will culminate in the production of their own musical instrument from household materials as they refine and tune their instruments.
   Students will be assessed using quizzes, lab reports, and the final.

Course Content

This course will include lab activities on many of the following topics:
Simple Measurements and Density of Solids
Representing Motion and the Speed of Sound
Simple Harmonic Motion with Springs and Pendulums
Wave Reflection and Refraction
Diffraction of Light and Sound Waves
Constructive and Destructive Interference
Sound Pressure Level
Waveforms and Spectrums
Standing Waves in Strings
Standing Waves in Tubes
Musical Temperaments
Physiology Of Hearing
Electrical Circuits
Musical Sound Construction

Efforts will be made to highlight musical instruments and tuning systems from various cultures and throughout history. Students will create their own musical instrument based on a choice of scale and tuning using common temperaments from various cultures as a guide.