- velocity: speed of sound; measured in meters per second (m/s)
- frequency: shakes per second; measured in Hertz (Hz)
- standing wave: stationary wave that remains in a constant with no net transport of energy
- harmonics: certain frequencies at which standing waves occur
- wavelength: length of wave; measured in meters (m)
BIG Questions:
How can we tell something (like sound) is a wave if it is invisible or too small for us to see?
How do musical instruments work?
What's the difference between a woodwind and a stringed instrument?
To make a musical note, participants had to hit one end of the pipe on our hands. This created a sound wave. But, since it is a closed end air column, there can only be odd-numbered harmonics. If there were even numbered harmonics, music wouldn't be possible. In woodwind instruments, the fundamental is 1/4 the wavelength whereas the fundamental on a stringed instrument will be 1/2 the wavelength. The length of the pipe and its relationship with frequency is inversely related. The longer pipe will create a longer wavelength, decreasing the frequency of the wave. The shorter pipe creates a shorter wavelength, increasing the frequency of the wave. Unfortunately I learned that music is actually math! Those are two things that I have different feelings for and to hear them associated together is "interesting" to say the least. The music that we hear in notes from instruments is really just proportional sound waves, and the note in which the amplitude is the highest determines what note we actually hear. Also an important factor when dealing with woodwind instruments is that the harmonics must be odd. Here are example photos of each concept:
