Instruments
PIRA classification 3D
3D20. Resonance in Strings
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Subsets |
Abstract |
3D20.10 |
sonometer |
|
A sounding box with strings, tuning machines, and adjustable bridges. |
3D20.10 |
sonometer |
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A long spruce box with three strings, tuning machines, and adjustable bridges. |
3D20.11 |
vertical sonometer |
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A vertical sonometer allows tension to be applied by simply hanging weights. |
3D20.14 |
tuning fork driven sonometer |
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Place a tuning fork on the bridge of a tuned sonometer and observe the motion of a small piece of paper placed on the wire at its center. |
3D20.15 |
harmonics on a string |
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Pluck a string at different distances from the end or pluck while touching at various nodes. |
3D20.20 |
modes of string oscillation on scope |
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|
3D20.20 |
modes of string oscillation |
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Use voltages generated by magnets placed across steel strings attached to an oscilloscope to view string motion. |
3D20.20 |
sonometer |
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An electromagnetic pickup is used to display the waveform of the sonometer string on an oscilloscope. |
3D20.21 |
guitar and scope |
|
Show the output of an electric guitar on an oscilloscope. |
3D20.30 |
bowed string |
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An overhead projector is modified for strobe projection and the string is bowed with a motorized "O" ring. |
3D20.30 |
sonometer wire motion |
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Demonstrate the motion of a sonometer wire by stroboscopic shadow projection or using a light beam and revolving mirror. |
3D20.30 |
string in a projector |
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The motion of a string is shown by placing any portion in a lantern projector limited by a slit. The difference in bowing, plucking, and striking can be demonstrated. |
3D20.31 |
optical detection of string motion |
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An optical detection system for showing the position of a vibrating string. |
3D20.35 |
resonance of strings |
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A tuning fork is held against a three string sonometer with one string tuned to the fork frequency. Only the tuned string will vibrate. |
3D20.36 |
simulated piano string coupling |
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A classroom device that simulates the coupled motion of piano strings and theory of the device. |
3D20.45 |
longitudinal vibrations in strings |
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Stroke a string attached to a diaphragm across the open end of a cylinder. By jerking, you can make it bark like a dog. |
3D20.52 |
aeolian harp |
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Mount strings vertically on a rotating table to give the sound of strings excited by the wind. |
3D20.52 |
aeolian scope |
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A sort of aeolian stethoscope. |
3D20.60 |
rubber-band harp |
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The pitch of a rubber-band changes only slightly with great increase in length (tension). |
3D22. Stringed Instruments
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Subsets |
Abstract |
3D22.10 |
violin |
|
|
3D22.20 |
cigar box cello |
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A wooden cigar box serves as sounding box for a one string violin. |
3D22.20 |
cigar box cello |
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A one string violin made with a cigar box body. |
3D30. Resonance Cavities
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Subsets |
Abstract |
3D30.10 |
vertical resonance tube |
|
Draw a glass tube out of a water bath while holding a tuning fork over one end. |
3D30.10 |
veritcal resonance tube |
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The length of a glass tube is varied by pulling it out of a water reservoir. A tuning fork is used as a frequency source. |
3D30.10 |
vertical resonance tube modification |
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Design of a clamp to hold the tuning fork and resonance tube, and a bracket for the water reservoir. |
3D30.10 |
vertical resonance tube |
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A glass tube is drawn out of a water bath while holding a tuning fork over one end. |
3D30.10 |
vertical resonance tube |
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Use a tuning fork to excite the air column in a vertical tube as it is pulled out of a water bath. |
3D30.11 |
vertical resonance tube |
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Blow across the mouth of bottles or a adjustable air column. |
3D30.12 |
vertical resonance tube |
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A vertical tube is mounted over a siren disk. |
3D30.14 |
open tube resonance |
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A length of open tube adjusted by a paper extension and excited by a tuning fork. |
3D30.15 |
resonance tube with piston |
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Mount a microphone on a piston that slides in a glass tube and close the other end of the tube with a speaker. |
3D30.16 |
horizontal resonance tube |
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A plunger on a rod is used to change the effective length of a horizontal glass tube as a tuning fork supplies the exciting frequency. |
3D30.16 |
organ pipe velocity nodes |
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Lower a ring with a membrane and sand into a pipe with a clear side to observe velocity nodes and antinodes. |
3D30.17 |
modes of a bottle |
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A thorough discussion of modes of various bottles working up to a 3-D model. |
3D30.19 |
low frequency generator |
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A special tip for an air jet that produces many frequencies of low intensity useful for exciting enclosed air columns. |
3D30.20 |
open and closed tubes 256/512 |
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3D30.20 |
resonance tube 256/512 |
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A tube is cut to length to resonate at 256 Hz when closed and 512 Hz when open. |
3D30.21 |
conical pipes |
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Corrections for the effective length of open and closed circular pipes are given. A conical pipe discussion with several interesting demonstrations is listed. |
3D30.35 |
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|
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3D30.35 |
Hummer tube |
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The complete explanation on singing corrugated pipes. |
3D30.35 |
freq tube dash pot |
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A freq tube is attached to coffee can moved up and down in a pail of water. |
3D30.35 |
freq tube |
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Open tubes of corrugated plastic are whirled around. |
3D30.40 |
Helmholtz resonators |
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A set of spherical resonators made of spun brass. |
3D30.40 |
Helmholtz resonators |
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A small vane is rotated when placed near the small opening of a resonating Helmholtz cavity. |
3D30.40 |
acoustic resonator |
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This picture appears to be of a Helmholtz resonator. |
3D30.40 |
Helmholtz resonators |
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Two resonators are matched to two tuning forks. |
3D30.41 |
tuning a resonance box |
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The hole size of a resonance box is adjusted to maximize resonance with a tuning fork. |
3D30.43 |
Fizeau resonance box |
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A toothed wheel is used to produce a high pitched sound and an adjustable resonance box with a sensitive flame detector is used to determine speed of sound. |
3D30.45 |
ploop tubes |
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Stoppers are removed from a set of tubes of varying length. |
3D30.45 |
ploop tubes |
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Pull stoppers out of test tubes filled with water to different depths. |
3D30.50 |
Ruben's tube |
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The standard Reuben's tube. |
3D30.50 |
Ruben's tube |
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A gas filled tube with flames from a row of holes along the top and a speaker at one end. |
3D30.50 |
Ruben's tube |
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Directions for building a Ruben's tube. Picture, Diagrams. |
3D30.50 |
Ruben's tube |
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Drill a line of holes along a downspout and drive one end with a loudspeaker and introduce gas in the other. Flames indicate nodes and antinodes. |
3D30.50 |
Ruben's tube |
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A horn driver is used as a sound source. |
3D30.55 |
Rubens tube comment |
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A comment on AJP 53,1110 (1985). |
3D30.55 |
Rubens tube flame structure |
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An examination of the structure of the flames in the normal mode (flame maxima at pressure nodes). |
3D30.55 |
Ruben's tube nodes |
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The pressure is measured at each flame hole and the results are that the flames are larger at the pressure antinodes. |
3D30.55 |
Ruben's tube nodes |
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A comment on a note that the tube can be operated with flame maxima at either pressure node or pressure antinode. |
3D30.60 |
pira200 |
Sawdust in a tube makes piles when driven by rubbing a rod attached to a disc. |
|
3D30.60 |
Kundt's tube |
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Standard Kundt's tube: glass tube with cork dust, stroke a rod to excite air in tube. |
3D30.60 |
Kundt's tube |
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Stroke a rod to excite cork dust in a tube. |
3D30.61 |
horn driven Kundt tube |
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Investigation of striations in an electrically driven Kundt tube. |
3D30.61 |
Kundt's tube |
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The cork dust in Kundt's tube is excited by a horn driver. |
3D30.62 |
Kundt's tube |
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A variation of Kundt's tube with an organ pipe made with one side of rubber or cellophane and sprinkled with sand while laid on its side. |
3D30.63 |
Kundt's tube on the overhead |
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A Kundt's tube is modified for use on the overhead projector. |
3D30.64 |
evacuate Kundt's tube |
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Show the effect of pressure variation on the speed of sound by partially evacuating the Kundt's tube. |
3D30.65 |
hot wire Kundt's tube |
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Cooling of a glowing wire down the center of a tube indicates standing waves. |
3D30.65 |
horizontal resonance tube - wire |
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A nichrome wire stretched down the middle of a glass tube and heated electrically will glow to show standing waves. |
3D30.65 |
hot wire pipe |
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Blow a whistle at one end of a tube with a hot wire running down the axis to show areas of low and high luminosity. |
3D30.66 |
Kundt's tube - impedance measurement |
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Use the oscilloscope to show variation of impedance in the driving coil with changes in tube length. |
3D30.69 |
pressure distribution in a cavity |
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Liquid deformation on the bottom of an acoustic cavity shows the time-dependent pressure distribution in a standing sound wave. |
3D30.70 |
hoot tubes |
pira200 |
A Bunsen burner heats a screen in the bottom of a large open vertical tube. |
3D30.70 |
hoot tubes |
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Large glass tubes sound when a wire mesh at one end is heated with a Bunsen burner. |
3D30.70 |
hoot tubes |
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A Bunsen burner heats a screen in the bottom of a large open tube. |
3D30.70 |
hoot tubes |
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Singing tubes excited by hot gauze. |
3D30.70 |
hoot tubes |
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Hints for making a singing tube work with only flame excitation. |
3D30.70 |
singing pipes |
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Two metal tubes and a glass one. |
3D30.71 |
hoot tube |
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Insert a fisher burner in a tube. |
3D30.72 |
hoot tubes |
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The gauze in a hoot tube is held at the bottom of the tube and the flame is lit above it. |
3D30.73 |
Rijke Tube - electrical heating |
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Construction of electrically heated Rijke tubes, tuning a T shaped tube. |
3D30.74 |
variable hoot tubes |
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3D30.75 |
Knipp tubes |
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Knipp tubes are a special form of singing tube made by holding a short length of glass tube in the closed end of a larger tube. Picture. Ref. F.R.Watson, "Sound"p.214. |
3D30.77 |
hot chocolate effect |
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Tap on a tall cylinder full of water and then repeat with hot water so there are lots of bubbles. The pitch descends three octaves and rises as the bubbles float up. |
3D30.77 |
hot chocolate effect - comment |
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A few explanations from a physical chemist. |
3D30.77 |
hot chocolate effect |
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Tap on the bottom of an empty glass, a full glass (higher pitch), and a glass full of tiny bubbles (pitch raises as glass clears. Methods of generating bubbles with beer and hot water. More. |
3D32. Air Column Instruments
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Subsets |
Abstract |
3D32.10 |
tin flute |
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Open and close holes on a tin flute to find pressure nodes and antinodes. |
3D32.10 |
organ pipes with holes |
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Show open and closed pipes of various lengths and one with holes bored in the side to give the diatonic scale. |
3D32.10 |
resonance tubes (three lengths) |
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Blow air out of a flat nozzle across a set of three different length tubes. |
3D32.13 |
shrieker |
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Insert a 1/2" dia. tube 12" long into a bottle of water and blow across. |
3D32.15 |
slide whistle |
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Use a high quality sliding whistle made for band. |
3D32.15 |
variable pitch whistle |
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A whistle with a sliding piston. |
3D32.15 |
slide whistle |
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The variable length organ pipe. |
3D32.16 |
bird call |
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Directions for making a bird call. Diagram. |
3D32.20 |
organ pipes with holes |
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3D32.24 |
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A collection of open, closed, and variable length organ pipes. |
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3D32.25 |
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Three organ pipes, open and closed. |
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3D32.27 |
"C" bazooka |
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A 1.314 m brass tube sounds the note "C" when blown with the lips. |
3D32.30 |
slide whistle |
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3D32.35 |
demonstration trumpet |
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Interchangeable mouthpiece, leadpipe, cylindrical section, and bell allow one to show the function of the various parts of the brass instruments. |
3D32.36 |
hose in the bell |
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With a garden hose in the bell of a trombone (flush with the end), the tones are: 3:5:7:9:11 and without the hose: 2:3:4:5:6. |
3D32.40 |
demonstration trumpet |
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|
3D32.40 |
PVC instruments, etc. |
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Very good instructions on making various instruments out of PVC. Also using a computer with a synthesizer to study scales. |
3D40. Resonance in Plates, Bars, Solids
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Subsets |
Abstract |
3D40.10 |
glockenspiel |
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A small xylophone can be played to demonstrate the musical scale. |
3D40.10 |
xylophone |
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A small xylophone. |
3D40.10 |
xylophone bars |
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Use a microphone and oscilloscope to display the waveforms of various notes on a xylophone. |
3D40.11 |
rectangular bar oscillations |
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Strike a three foot rectangular bar on different faces and on the end. Listen to the different frequencies. |
3D40.12 |
high frequency metal bars |
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Hold a metal rod at the midpoint and strike at the end. Two rods an octave apart are shown. |
3D40.15 |
musical sticks |
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A set of wood sticks play a major scale when dropped on the lecture table. |
3D40.15 |
musical sticks |
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A set of wood sticks is cut so they sound the musical scale when dropped. |
3D40.15 |
musical sticks |
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Directions for making musical sticks. |
3D40.15 |
musical sticks |
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A set of sticks give a complete scale when dropped. |
3D40.16 |
musical nails |
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|
3D40.20 |
singing rod |
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Hold a long aluminum rod at the midpoint and stroke with rosened fingers. |
3D40.20 |
singing rod |
pira200 |
A long aluminum rod will sing when held at the center and stroked with a rosin coated leather. |
3D40.20 |
singing rods |
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Hold a long aluminum rod at the midpoint and stroke with rosined fingers. |
3D40.21 |
singing rod |
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Stroke a 1/2" x 72" aluminum rod while holding at nodes to produce different harmonics. |
3D40.23 |
bow the vertical rod |
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A long thin rod attached to a short thick rod clamped vertically is bowed and plucked while held at various positions. |
3D40.24 |
regenerative feedback in rod |
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A detector at one end, speaker at the other, and an amplifier in between provides a regenerative feedback system for exciting a rod in the fundamental frequency. |
3D40.24 |
speed of sound in a rod |
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Stroke a loud rod to get a squeal, tune a oscillator and speaker to get rid of beats, and calculate the velocity. |
3D40.24 |
speed of sound in a metal wire |
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Wire is stretched tightly and stroked with a wet sponge. |
3D40.24 |
velocity of sound in a rod |
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A rod clamped in the middle is excited by a coil at one end tuned until a Lissajous pattern is formed on an oscilloscope with the signal from a microphone placed at the other end. |
3D40.24 |
singing rod |
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A rod is excited electromagnetically at one end and the motion is detected in the same manner at the other end for quantitative studies. |
3D40.27 |
singing rod |
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Find Young's modulus by finding the sag in a rod and then compare the frequency of the fundamental mode with theory. |
3D40.30 |
Chladni plate |
pira200 |
Strike or bow a horizontal metal plate covered with sand while touching the edge at various nodal points. Alternatively, the plate can be excited using a mechanincal vibrator and frequency generator. |
3D40.30 |
Chladni plate |
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A brass plate clamped horizontally in the center is bowed while the edges are touched to provide user selected nodes. Banding sand shows patterns of oscillations. |
3D40.30 |
Chladni plates |
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Bow the Chladni plate while damping at node locations with a finger. |
3D40.30 |
Chladni plates |
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Excite the Chladni plates with a cello bow. Picture. |
3D40.30 |
Chladni plate |
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A horizontal metal plate covered with sand is struck or bowed while touching the edge at various nodal points. |
3D40.30 |
Chladni plates |
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Bow circular and square Chladni plates. |
3D40.30 |
Chladni plates |
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A plate is driven by magnetostriction in the 10 to 30 Khz range. |
3D40.31 |
Chladni plates |
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Sprinkled sand shows standing waves on a circular metal plate driven at the center by an oscillator. |
3D40.31 |
Chladni plates |
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Drive a Chladni plate from the center. |
3D40.32 |
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Directions for making a loudspeaker driven Chladni plate for the overhead projector. |
|
3D40.32 |
Chladni plates |
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Chladni plates are driven from above by a loudspeaker. Pictures. |
3D40.33 |
thick Chladni plate |
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A circular disc of 1/2" aluminum exhibits a single pattern. |
3D40.34 |
Chladni plates |
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After some interesting historical and general comments, nonflat plates (cymbals, gongs, etc.) are examined. |
3D40.35 |
2-D flame table |
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Two-dimensional rectangular and circular flame tables, extensions of the one-dimensional Rubens tube, are shown in some lower order modes |
3D40.35 |
flaming birthday cake |
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Flames from a two dimensional array driven by a speaker show many resonant modes. |
3D40.36 |
2D flame table analysis |
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An analysis of the two dimensional flame table. |
3D40.40 |
Chladni figures - tympani head |
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Drive a timpani head with a loudspeaker. |
3D40.40 |
standing waves on a drum |
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A speaker drives a circular rubber membrane under tension while illuminated with a strobe. |
3D40.40 |
standing waves in a drum |
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A circular rubber membrane with a pattern is illuminated with a strobe and driven from below by a 12" loudspeaker. Pictures. |
3D40.40 |
drumhead |
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A speaker drives a drumhead. |
3D40.41 |
vibrations in a circular membrane |
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The eigenfrequencies of (21) agree closely with the theoretical values. Air damping is removed by using a wire mesh driven magnetically. |
3D40.45 |
bubble membrane modes |
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Use a large right angle PVC fitting. |
3D40.45 |
soap film membrane modes |
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Light from a slide projector is reflected off a soap film with a black cloth and speaker behind. |
3D40.45 |
bubble membrane modes |
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A simple technique to drive bubble membranes of various shapes with a speaker. |
3D40.50 |
musical goblets |
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Rub the edge of a goblet with a wet finger. |
3D40.50 |
glass tumbler |
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Rub a finger dipped in vinegar around the top of a crystal goblet. |
3D40.51 |
standing waves in a bowl |
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A 15 l flask is cut in half to form a bowl which is bowed to produce standing waves. Suspended ping pong balls indicate nodes and loops. |
3D40.51 |
bowing the bowl |
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Suspend four pith balls so they touch the edge of a bowl and bow between two of the balls. |
3D40.52 |
"whispering" waves in a wineglass |
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A thorough discussion of surface waves in vessels, including ethylene glycol in a trifle dish. |
3D40.52 |
wineglass acoustics |
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A study of wineglass acoustics. |
3D40.53 |
wine glass waves, etc. |
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Seven questions about wine glass waves are answered. Pictures of a glass harmonica and a Chinese "water spouting basin". |
3D40.55 |
pira200 |
A large 2" horn driver is used with an audio amplifier is used to break glassware/Stemware at it's resonant frequency by the use of an adjustable function generator to deliver a pure tone. Strobe light can be added to show the oscillations of the glass before it shatters. |
|
3D40.60 |
wind chimes |
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Directions for making wind chimes. Some discussion of the perception of complex tones. |
3D40.60 |
aeolian "bull roarer" |
|
The Australian "bull-roarer" produces a loud noise due to eddies in the air. |
3D40.65 |
bull roarer |
|
|
3D40.90 |
spherical oscillations movie |
|
A description by the author of a computer generated movie of spherical oscillations. |
3D42. Percussion Instruments
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Abstract |
3D46. Tuning Forks
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Subsets |
Abstract |
3D46.15 |
|
Various sets of tuning forks are shown. |
|
3D46.16 |
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Use a microphone and an oscilloscope to display the waveforms of tuning forks of varying frequencies. |
|
3D46.20 |
Tuning Forks |
|
Strike two tuning forks. Hold one against the table and the other in the air. When the first is no longer audible, hold the second on the table. |
3D46.21 |
tuning forks |
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Compare losses of tuning forks of steel and alloy, on and off a resonator box. |
3D46.22 |
adjustable tuning fork |
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Adjust masses on each tine of a large fork and show the waveform on an oscilloscope. Mistuned forks damp quickly. |
3D46.25 |
modulation of sound waves |
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Two tuning forks of slightly different frequencies mounted on resonant boxes couple when the amplitude is varied by an oscillating barrier between them. |
3D46.30 |
low frequency tuning fork |
|
Tuning fork motion can be studied with a large fork. |
3D46.31 |
project a tuning fork |
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Stroboscopically shadow project a vibrating tuning fork on a screen. |
3D46.40 |
vowel tuning forks |
|
A set of tuning forks made to give sounds that sound like the vowels. |
3D46.45 |
quadrupole nature of a tuning fork |
|
Hold a tuning fork close to the ear and rotate it. |
3D46.90 |
frequency standard tuning forks |
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Driven precision tuning forks of 400 and 100 Hz are used as secondary frequency standards. |
3D46.90 |
Electronically driven tuning fork |
|
A tube circuit for driving a tuning fork. |
3D46.90 |
electrically driven fork |
|
A vacuum tube circuit for driving tuning forks. |
3D50. Electronic Instruments
PIRA # |
Demonstration Name |
Abstract |
3D50.10 |
keyboards |
|