Although acoustics examples and demonstrations can be an effective tool for engaging students in introductory physics classes and outreach, teaching principles of sound and vibration to the deaf and hard of hearing needs to be approached carefully. The deaf and hard of hearing have less intuition with sound but are no strangers to some of the effects of pressure, vibrations, and other basic principles that are related to sound. We recently expanded our “Sounds to Astound” outreach program and developed an acoustics demonstration program for 80 visiting deaf students mostly between the ages of 13 and 18. Both this experience, which had a “See and Feel” approach, similar to what was proposed by Lang, and a specialized planetarium program helped reinforce for the students the opportunities that exist for them in higher education. This paper describes some of the pedagogical underpinnings, the demonstrations, their implementation and lessons learned, and student responses.
When teaching musical acoustics to undergraduates, some have difficulty understanding how acoustical principles are related to music production. These difficulties are mitigated by using simple physical models and employing active learning activities. Three models are particularly helpful: mass-spring systems, string and tube resonances, and Helmholtz resonators. Students can gain hands-on experience with these models in both personal and guided laboratory experimentation. Examples of both types of experiments are provided to illustrate how they enable students to better understand the acoustics of musical instruments. These active learning activities highlight similarities and differences between the different families of musical instruments. The active learning activities are particularly impactful when students write about their experiences using proper acoustical terminology. The resulting understanding of acoustical principles enhances music education.
In our lab at Brigham Young University, a tank of water will be used to help validate machine learning algorithms that could be applied to ocean acoustics. A model for sound propagation in the tank is required, and we are exploring the possibility of using ORCA, a range-independent normal mode model [Westwood et al., JASA (1996)]. Because ORCA assumes azimuthal symmetry in cylindrical coordinates, reflections from the tank walls must be significantly attenuated for ORCA to be a good model. To compare our measurements to ORCA, two approaches have been tried: (1) timegating and (2) absorptive panels on the walls. The layering used in ORCA is air on top, water with a maximum depth of 0.91 m, 3 cm thick acrylic bottom, a lower air layer, and then concrete on bottom. A simpler model excluding the air between the acrylic and the concrete was also tested. Both models were compared to measured data; both relative and absolute transmission loss were compared across a large frequency band and as a function of source/receiver distances at set depths. If ORCA is a good model for the tank, then we could easily generate training data for machine learning applications.
Though a staple for modeling natural phenomena in much of modern science, oscillatory motion consists of at best 14% of any high school AP Physics exams focus and at most 6% in AP Physics 1. With such a minimal emphasis, wave phenomena can easily be quickly skipped over at the end of the school year for a typical AP Physics classroom rushing to wrap up before the exam in May. This presentation will share fun and simple ways to more fully incorporate major wave phenomena such as sound into an AP Physics curriculum, while supporting the College Board AP Physics units on Simple Harmonic Motion and Oscillations, with interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities. These demonstrations and activities provide for a deeper understanding of major curriculum ideas of oscillations as well as energy transfers in various systems, which the modern high school student can get excited about and easily relate to. With these small changes students have often reported this unit to be the most interesting and easily understood units of the year.
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