Physics Lab
Course Credits: 15
Course Curriculum Used:
The Physics of Sound (Berg and Stork, 1995)
Stradivari's Genius (Faber, 2004)
The Violin Maker (Marchese, 2007)
Einstein's Violin (Eger, 2005)
Luthier's Handbook (Siminoff, 2002)
Course Description
Student investigates concepts of the physics of sound including simple harmonic motion, basic properties of waves, resonance, overtones and harmonics using musical instruments and digital recording rograms on a computer. Background reading includes chapters in he Physics of Sound (Berg and Stork, 1995), Stradivari's Genius (Faber, 2004), The Violin Maker (Marchese, 2007), and Einstein's Violin (Eger, 2005). Lab work consists of building a Hughes Dulcimer "Lute" kit. This 7-string, fretted instrument has a simple pear-shaped body, and guitar type tuning. Student learns wooden instrument construction and finishing techniques. Using procedures found in the Luthier's Handbook (Siminoff, 2002), the components of the instrument are "tuned" to produce an acoustically pleasing complete instrument.
