Musical
Acoustics Laboratory: Physics 155L, Spring 2013
Tentative course schedule and syllabus
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Laboratory timings: |
Monday and Wednesday Tuesday |
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Instructors: |
Mr. Charles Dean, Email: deancl2@email.sc.edu |
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Office hours: Course website: |
By arrangement http://wind.physics.sc.edu/p155/p155laboratory |
Course description and outline: This laboratory course
reinforces principles learnt from the Physics 155 "Musical Acoustics"
lecture course and introduces students to acoustical phenomena through some simple
hands-on experiments. It can be taken before, during, or after taking the
lecture course – although taking both lab and lecture together during the same
semester is the best scenario. (Some programs may require only the lecture
without requiring the laboratory credit – please check with your course
advisor.)
Text and
accessories: All
lab write-ups will be posted on the course web site listed above. Please
print out and read each write-up before coming to the lab, making sure you have
the latest revised version. Also please bring a notebook with
graphing paper and a scientific calculator to each lab. Lab reports
must be completed during the lab period itself in this notebook.
Prerequisites: None.
Learning outcomes:
1. Perform a careful experiment,
estimate uncertainties and errors, and present the results in tabular and
graphical form.
2. Produce sound signals using function generators and loudspeakers.
3. Detect signals using microphone and display them on an oscilloscope.
4. Measure sound pressure levels using a handheld meter.
5. Investigate some basic physical properties of waves such as interference,
diffraction, and resonance.
List of experiments:
1. Sound
Localization
2. Harmonic
Oscillations
3. Vibrating
String and Standing Waves
4. Resonance of
an Air Column
5. Studying
Sound Waves in Air with an Oscilloscope – I
6. Studying
Sound Waves in Air with an Oscilloscope – II
7.
Interference and Diffraction of Sound Waves
8. Complex Tones: Fourier
Synthesis and Analysis, Ohm’s law, and the Missing Fundamental Effect – I
9. Complex Tones: Fourier
Synthesis and Analysis, Ohm’s law, and the Missing Fundamental Effect – II
Course format: This
year we will depart from the traditional long lab report that used to be
written at home and submitted in hard copy. Instead, all work including the
“lab report” will be completed in class time. The only “homework” will be to read
next week’s lab write-up before class, and to answer a few follow-up questions
about the lab that was completed and to answer a few warm-up questions for the
following week’s lab. These questions will be given by your instructor and
should be answered by email before the next lab meeting. For most of the labs,
you will be working in teams; however, each partner should be fully involved
and should understand all aspects of each lab. Don’t go through the steps
mechanically, but try to gain a true understanding of the science and
principles involved. Engage in discussions with your instructor and classmates.
Grading scheme: Each
lab is graded based on four components: (1) Participation in the experiment,
including being involved in taking of data. (2) Analysis and presentation of
the data and results in tabular and graphical form. (3) Conclusions and
interpretations of the experimental work and its context to theory. For these
first three components, all work must be written in your lab notebook and shown
to the instructor as the lab progresses. These written reports must be
completed before you leave the lab. (4) Homework consisting of questions
related to the completed and upcoming lab that must be emailed to the
instructor.
Grade boundaries are defined by the following sequence: A>90%, B+>85%, B>80%, C+>75%, C>70%, D+>65% D>60%
Policies: No grades are dropped. Attendance is required and labs
can only be made up in the case of genuine medical emergencies or other extreme
circumstances, which must be documented and brought to the instructor’s immediate
attention. Students with documented disabilities should contact the Office of
Student Disability Services at 803-777-6142 to make arrangements for
appropriate accommodations. Students are expected to abide by the
*** The first week will consist of orientation. There will be no labs during the week of M. L. King’s birthday. ***