In this project, we made three instruments, each fitting into one of the required categories: Wind, string, and percussion. For our wind instrument, we made panpipes. A panpipe is made of multiple pipes that are capped off at one end, and are each designed to play a specific note when blown over like a bottle. Our panpipes were made of PVC, with a penny and duct tape used to cap off the ends. For our chime instrument, we created a glockenspiel. Glockenspiel are essentially just xylophones that use metal pipes instead of wooden blocks. In the document below, you can see exactly how we calculated the pipe lengths. Other than the pipes, our glockenspiel was just a wooden frame designed to hold the pipes off of the ground. Our final instrument was the stringed one, an electric guitar. Our guitar was made of a board, a coca-cola bottle, a metal string, and a pickup. The pickup consists of a magnet and a coil of wire that is connected to an amplifier at both ends. What happens is the magnet produces a magnetic field that runs through the coil, and when the string is plucked, it disrupts the magnetic field. The information about the field being ruptured is sent to an amplifier, which turns the information into a note and plays that note.
Concepts Used:
Wavelength: Wavelength is the measure of the distance from one crest on wave to the next crest on the same wave. The measurement can also be taken from trough to trough, any point on a wave to the next similar point on that wave. Wavelength is measured in meters, and it's symbol is λ. It can be calculated using the equation: λ=v/f
Frequency: Frequency is a measurement of how many vibrations a wave has in a period of time. Frequency is measured in Hz, which is waves per second. It's symbol is a f, and it can be calculated using f=v/λ, or f=1/T.
Wave Speed: Wave speed is the speed at which a wave travels. It is represented by v, and is calculated using v=D/t, or v=f/λ. Wave speed is measured in m/s
Period: Period is the amount of time between vibrations in a wave. It's unit is T, and it is measured in seconds. Period can be calculated using the equation: T=1/f.
Amplitude: Amplitude is the displacement from a wave's equilibrium to it's crest. It is considered volume in sound waves. Amplitude cannot be calculated, but it is measured in meters and it's symbol is A.
Transverse wave: Transverse waves are the first of two types of waves, which are mainly distinguished from each other by the direction in which they vibrate. Transverse waves travel in one direction, and the direction they vibrate is perpendicular to the direction they travel. The main example of these waves is the electromagnetic spectrum, which consists of visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, x-ray, gamma, radio, and microwave. Longitudinal waves move faster than the other type of wave, and they can travel through a vacuum.
Longitudinal wave: Longitudinal waves are the second type of wave. They are different than transverse waves because their direction of travel and vibration are the same. Due to this, a longitudinal wave compresses and expands whatever medium it travels through in the same direction as it moves, creating a line of low, neutral, and high pressure zones. An example of a Longitudinal wave is a sound wave. Longitudinal waves travel slower than transverse waves, and they move fastest through a gas. Since they need a medium to operate, longitudinal waves cannot operate in a vacuum, such as space.
Wavelength: Wavelength is the measure of the distance from one crest on wave to the next crest on the same wave. The measurement can also be taken from trough to trough, any point on a wave to the next similar point on that wave. Wavelength is measured in meters, and it's symbol is λ. It can be calculated using the equation: λ=v/f
Frequency: Frequency is a measurement of how many vibrations a wave has in a period of time. Frequency is measured in Hz, which is waves per second. It's symbol is a f, and it can be calculated using f=v/λ, or f=1/T.
Wave Speed: Wave speed is the speed at which a wave travels. It is represented by v, and is calculated using v=D/t, or v=f/λ. Wave speed is measured in m/s
Period: Period is the amount of time between vibrations in a wave. It's unit is T, and it is measured in seconds. Period can be calculated using the equation: T=1/f.
Amplitude: Amplitude is the displacement from a wave's equilibrium to it's crest. It is considered volume in sound waves. Amplitude cannot be calculated, but it is measured in meters and it's symbol is A.
Transverse wave: Transverse waves are the first of two types of waves, which are mainly distinguished from each other by the direction in which they vibrate. Transverse waves travel in one direction, and the direction they vibrate is perpendicular to the direction they travel. The main example of these waves is the electromagnetic spectrum, which consists of visible light, ultraviolet, infrared, x-ray, gamma, radio, and microwave. Longitudinal waves move faster than the other type of wave, and they can travel through a vacuum.
Longitudinal wave: Longitudinal waves are the second type of wave. They are different than transverse waves because their direction of travel and vibration are the same. Due to this, a longitudinal wave compresses and expands whatever medium it travels through in the same direction as it moves, creating a line of low, neutral, and high pressure zones. An example of a Longitudinal wave is a sound wave. Longitudinal waves travel slower than transverse waves, and they move fastest through a gas. Since they need a medium to operate, longitudinal waves cannot operate in a vacuum, such as space.
Reflections:
I feel that I did fairly well in this unit. I really was able to always have something to do (as long as anything needed doing). I was always helpful, or at least not in people's way. Another thing I did well on was ideas. I fell that I had a lot of good ideas in this unit. Not only was I able to come up with some good designs, but I was also able to get around a lot of the problems that came up. However, I also didn't do some thing as well in this unit. One thing I failed at was keeping everyone on task. While at least one other person was working hard, it was too often that one member of our team wandered off and distracted some other team. Another thing I failed at was understanding. We went through some pretty complicated ideas in this unit, including some Mr. Williams didn't explain. I felt that I had a very hard time figuring out exactly what some of the things meant.
I feel that I did fairly well in this unit. I really was able to always have something to do (as long as anything needed doing). I was always helpful, or at least not in people's way. Another thing I did well on was ideas. I fell that I had a lot of good ideas in this unit. Not only was I able to come up with some good designs, but I was also able to get around a lot of the problems that came up. However, I also didn't do some thing as well in this unit. One thing I failed at was keeping everyone on task. While at least one other person was working hard, it was too often that one member of our team wandered off and distracted some other team. Another thing I failed at was understanding. We went through some pretty complicated ideas in this unit, including some Mr. Williams didn't explain. I felt that I had a very hard time figuring out exactly what some of the things meant.