Students will use three simple toy instruments to explore fundamentals of sound and frequency in this inquiry exercise. Boomwhackers: Students will share a number of colored plastic tubes of various lengths. Standing sound waves are excited inside the tubes, with wavelengths a little longer than double the length of the tube. Twirling Pipes: When the sound pipes are twirled around, they produce a note whose pitch depends upon how fast you can twirl it! You can probably produce only three different pitches, or frequencies. The pipes are producing members of a harmonic series. Students will also make soda straw flutes.
Required Equipment
Boomwhackers, Audioscope software or Sound Sensor for measuring frequency, Sound Pipe, Soda Straws, Scissors.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to Dr. J.R. Harkay author of Phenomenal Physics for providing this student inquiry activity. Adapted from “Pythagoras Sounds Off II: Wind Instruments,” an Inquiry Exercise by J. R. Harkay. Seewww.PhenomenalPhysics.com for more information on the complete Guided Inquiry Curriculum.
Dr. Russell Harkay
Keene State College
New Hampshire
The "Sound Sensor" required for this lab is readily available at your local music store as an instrument tuner with a built in microphone. Korg electronic tuners (about $20) make wonderful frequency meters! Each lab group would need one sound sensor.
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The "Sound Sensor" required for this lab is readily available at your local music store as an instrument tuner with a built in microphone. Korg electronic tuners (about $20) make wonderful frequency meters! Each lab group would need one sound sensor.
