Syllabus for physics P105, Spring 2011
What the course is about:
In this course we will use basic concepts and definitions from physics
to better understand how music is made and transmitted and heard. We will start out
with some basic mechanics and then apply these ideas to the behavior of waves. This
description is applicable to many types of waves, for example, sound, light and
water waves. Once we understand some of
the general properties of waves we will
begin to look at the application of these technical definitions to an
investigation of a certain kind of wave, the sound wave. This will
lead us to an investigation of the source of musical sound waves; vibrating
objects such as strings on a violin, vibrating air columns in a trumpet or
vibrating drum heads. We will spend some time looking at hearing and perception.
Towards the end of the course we will look at the physical principles that make
electronic recording and playback of music possible. The overall goal
of the course is reach a better
understanding of the basic physics behind the creation, transmission and
perception of musical sound.
Outline of the Course:
- Sound comes from vibrations. To describe vibrations quantitatively we need some basic physics concepts:
mass, length, time, velocity, speed, acceleration, mass, density, force, pressure, energy and power.
- Periodic motion. (tuning fork examples). Simple harmonic motion. Period and frequency. Displacement.
Damped harmonic motion. Resonance (first round). Resonators.
- Waves I. Speed of sound. Longitudinal, transverse, torsional. Sound waves versus other waves (EM waves).
Effect of temperature. Standing waves.
- Waves II. Doppler effect. Reflection. Diffuse reflection. Refraction. Inverse square law. Superposition.
Beats. Sound intensity. Acoustical power.
- Perception I. Structure of the ear. Pitch, loudness and quality.
Just noticeable difference (pitch and volume). Sound intensity level in dB. The phon.
- Perception II. Two tones. Timbre (quality). Fourier theorem. Missing fundamental.
- Instruments I. Strings, tubes, membranes. Plucked versus bowed. Edge tones.
- Instruments II. Real instruments. Violin family. Brass family. Flute family. Reed family.
Piano. Percussion (rods, tubes, etc.).
- The human voice. Formants.
- Musical Scales.
- Acoustics.
- Electronics. Ampere's law. Faraday's law. Circuits. AM. FM.
- Recording and playback. Microphones, speakers, electrical pickups. Vinyl, tape, CD, digitalization, mp3.
Notice:
Students who have a disability that requires accommodations in the classroom
should contact the Office of Disability Services by phone (941-2243) or email
(mtspring@ius.edu) early in the semester so that their learning needs may be
appropriately met. The student will need to provide documentation of the disability
and if further documentation is needed, recommendations can be provided from the
Office of Disability Services. Additional information about
the Office of Disability Services may be obtained at:
http://www.ius.edu/asc/disabilityservices/
Grading:
- There will be a
10-15 minute quiz every week which will account for 50% of your
grade. The questions will be a combination of definitions and conceptual questions
not requiring math and will
be similar to the questions we do in class. Quiz Hints. The total points earned on the quizzes
will be divided by one less than the number of quizzes (so even if you
only get a few points on a quiz, it counts towards your total). Makeup quizzes
will only be given for excused absences.
- An additional
20% of your grade will be from a take home comprehensive final.
- An additional
30% will be based on homework and in class exercises. Although
attendance is not strictly required we will do problems, exercises and or
answer questions in class to be turned in during almost every class. You
are responsible for turning in these problems whether you attend class or
not. Additional problems will be assigned as homework to be done outside of
class. You may turn in homework problems one week late and get half credit.
You may work with others in the class on homework.
Contact Dr. K. Forinash, for
comments/suggestions/corrections.
Indiana University Southeast