The effects of the mouthpiece and bell on the frequencies of the vibrating air column in a trombone can be demonstrated quite readily by first calculating the expected resonant frequencies of a piece of PVC pipe that is the same length as a trombone, then replacing portions of the PVC pipe of the same length with first a cup-shaped mouthpiece and…

The effects of inhaled helium on the human voice were investigated in a recent article in "The Physics Teacher." As mentioned in that article, demonstrations of the effect are a popular classroom activity. If the number of YouTube videos is any indication, the effects of sulfur hexafluoride on the human voice are equally popular.…

Most young children love a good song and dance, an enticing story, and gorgeous illustrations. How could this staple of the early childhood classroom--music and literature--access children's ideas about physical science? How can young children communicate their knowledge of unseen science concepts that are not easily represented in pictures? These…

In this paper I propose a method of calculating the time between line captures in a standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) webcam using the rolling shutter effect when filming a guitar. The exercise links the concepts of wavelength and frequency, while outlining the basic operation of a CMOS camera through vertical line capture.

Ask many elementary school teachers or principals, and they will say that science and music are not the top priority in their classrooms. Teachers need to know "how" they can incorporate the necessary mathematics and reading goals and objectives while still engaging students in the critical and aesthetic thinking developed through…

Create your own speakers for an MP3 player while exploring the science of sound. Review of science notebooks, students' intriguing cabinet designs, and listening to students talk with a musician about the physics of an instrument show that complex concepts are being absorbed and extended with each new iteration. Science that matters to students…

In our "Physics of Music" class for non-science majors, we have developed a laboratory exercise in which students experiment with Chladni sand patterns on drumheads. Chladni patterns provide a kinesthetic, visual, and entertaining way to illustrate standing waves on flat surfaces and are very helpful when making the transition from one-dimensional…

Anyone who plays a guitar needs a stand to hold the guitar when he or she is not playing it. A guitar is not an instrument that one can lay down or prop against the wall without risking potentially catastrophic and long-term damage. There are several options in pre-made guitar stands made for single or multiple guitars, but as an alternative that…

Rainsticks are African and South American musical instruments that recreate the soothing sounds of rain. They were originally made of bamboo or dried cacti tubes. Inside the tubes are small river pebbles and cactus thorns. The longer the tube, the longer-lasting the "music." This article gives instructions for making both a large and…

Offers experiments and activities designed to help students understand the qualities of sound. Provides directives on how to construct simple musical instruments. Suggests ways to help students discriminate differences in pitch, dynamics, and rhythm. (ML)

This activity is the result of a school-university collaboration among four educators (two intermediate classroom teachers, a vice-principal/teacher, and a university-based teacher educator/researcher) who worked together to improve the quality of learning in the classroom. The educators combined their teaching expertise to plan and co-teach an…