Musical Instruments

Howthedrums(chimes)work:

Whenthesidesarehit,themainthingthatmakesthesoundshigherandloweristhe
lengthofthesideofthejar.Thelongerthesideofthejar,thelowerthesounditmakesand
viceversa.Thereasonforthisisthatthelongerthethingthatsbeingaffectedbythevibration
is,thelongerthewavelengthwillbe.Longerwavelengthsmakefordeepersoundsbecauseit
takeslongerforthewavelengthtogobackandforthresultinginalowerfrequency.

Thenoisemadewhentheducttapeontopishitisdependentonthetightnessofthe
ducttape.Thetightertheducttapeis,thehigherthesoundwillbebecausetightducttape
movesfasterwhenhit.Thismeansithasahigherfrequency.Thesoundmadewhentheedge
ofthejarishitisjustthenaturalfrequencywhenthatobjectishit,andithappenstofallinto
ourscale.

Mydrumstickforthisinstrumentwasapencil.IusedtheeraserwhenIhittheduct
tapeonthedrums,thewoodenpartwhenIhittherimofthedrum,andthemetalpartwhenI
hitthesidesofthedrums.Theeraseristhesoftestsoitvibratestheslowest,makingthe
lowestsound.ThisworkedwellforusbecausethenoteswhereIhittheducttapewhere
supposedtobethelowest.Thewoodisinthemiddlesoitmadeasoundinthemiddleoflow
andhigh.Thisworkedwellbecausewhentherimwashit,itwassupposedtobeanote
betweentheducttapebeinghitandthesidebeinghit.Themetalpartisthehardestsoit
vibratesthefastest,makingahighersound.Thisoneworkedwellforusbecausewhenthe
sideswerehit,itwassupposedtomakethehighestsoundofthescale.

Note

Jar

PlaceonJar

large

looseducttape

medium

mediumtensionducttape

small

tightducttape

large

rim

large

longside

medium

mediumside

small

shortside


Howthebanjo(string)work:

Thestringsbythemselvesdontmakeanynoise.Eachstringmakesthenotethatwe
wantbecausewetightenedthestringstoacertaintension.Wealsocutthestringstoa
specificlengthtochangethenotes.OnceIhadthebeginningnotes,GandB,Imeasuredout
howlongeachnoteswavelengthanddividedby2.Idividedby2becausethestringisonly
halfawavelength.Thedifferentnotesplayonlythatonenotbecausewhenyoupressdown
onthestring,thestringisshortenedtothatsize,makingitahigherpitch.

Hereishowlongeachstringneedstobeonceyouhavethefirstpitchinordertovibrateat
thecorrectspeed:

NOTES

FREQUENCY(Hz)

WAVELENGTH(cm) HALF
WAVELENGTH(cm)

C5

523.25

65.93

32.965

D5

587.33

58.74

29.37

E5

659.25

52.33

26.165

F5

698.46

49.39

24.695

G5

783.99

44.01

22.005

A5

880.00

39.20

19.6

B5

987.77

34.93

17.465

C6

1046.5

32.97

16.485

D6

1174.66

29.37

14.685

E6

1318.51

26.17

13.085

F6

1396.91

24.70

12.35

G6

1567.98

22.00

11

A6

1760.00

19.60

14.8

B6

1975.53

17.46

8.74

C7

2093.00

16.48

6.24

Wemadethebaseofthebanjoafryingpanfortwomainreasons.First,itisway
hardertomakeabaseoutofwoodinlessthanaweek,sobuildingitoffofthefryingpan
gaveitastablebase.Second,theinsidedomeofthepanvibratesthesoundwavesinevery
direction,makingitloudforeveryoneinthearea,notjustacertainareaofpeople.Whenthe
soundisprojectedeverywhere,thesoundislouderandgivesamorerealisticsound.

Howthetrombone(wind)works:

Thepitchofthevibrationisdeterminedbythelengthofthetubeyouareblowinginto
andthemanualmodificationsofthelength,likethepipeweslide.Whenyoublowintothe
tube,theairyoureblowingincreatesahigherpressure,butasitgoesthroughthetube,the
pressuredecreasesmakingitreachaneutralequilibriumoratmosphericpressure.

Duringtheplacementofthenotesonthepvcpipe,weexperimentedandfoundout
thatbecauseofthethicknessofthepipewewereusing,thenoteswerenotgoingwherethey
theoreticallyshouldhavebeen.Therefore,wehadtotesttheplacementofthenotesby
blowingintoourinstrumentandcheckingwithatuner.Mostofournoteswherejustabit
higherthanwhereitshouldhavebeen.Unfortunately,becauseofthewaywecutitwhichwas
accordingtothetheoreticalnotes,wewerenotabletocreatethenoteD.

Notes

Frequency(Hz)

Quarter
Wavelength(cm)

Total
Wavelength(cm)

D
3

146.83

65.75

234.96

E
3

164.81

52.33

209.33

F
3

174.61

49.4

197.58

G
3

196.00

44.005

176.02

A
3

220.00

39.21

156.82

B
3

246.94

34.93

139.72

C
4

261.63

32.97

131.87

VIDEOLYRICS
verse1

Wavesinmotion,themusicinvibration,
Whatisawave?Awiggleinspaceandtime.This,isphysics,PHYSICS,canyouhear
mesing?Thewaves,vibrating.Thisissocool,don'tbeafool.
oh,wearebuildingaband,
I'mtheleadsinger,and

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Whatisasoundwave,awiggleinspaceandtime,itissimplebutcan'tbedonebya
mime,soI'mjustsittingherespittingoutrhymes,andtellingyouhowfrequency,wavelength,
andwavespeedareallrelatedatthistime.Wavesspeedsequationiswavespeedequals
wavelengthtimesfrequency.Theinstrumentsweusearedrums,strings,winds,andchimes.
Baduseofphysicsisconsideredawarcrime.Higherpitchmeansthefrequencyhasrapidly
climbed.ThisisjustwhatIdoinmysparetimeand,honestly,myphysicsknowledgeisatit's
prime.Aperiodisabackandforthswing'stime,andtothinkthisallstartedwitharhyme.

thisisphysics

thisisphysics

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Vequalswavespeed

Fequalsfrequency
Aequalsamplitude

comeon,singwithme

Thisisphysics

Thisisphysics

Thisisphysics

Imout