Introduction to Musical Acoustics, Physics 108Spring 2010Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 - 12:15Regener Hall Room 103Instructor: Prof. Patricia HenningCourse PhilosophyMany people are scared off by physics these days, which is a real shame, because physics is really justthinking about how things work. In this class, we’ll look at: sound production, propagation (howit travels), and detection, as well as music and musical instruments, the human voice and hearing,and acoustics of the environment. Topics will include: general properties of sound, applicationsto musical instruments, the human ear, the human voice, room acoustics, electronic reproductionand synthesis of sound, harmonics, tone quality, pitch and musical scales.This class will focus on the physical concepts of musical acoustics. There will be some lecturing andlecture demonstrations, computer simulations, guest speakers/instrumentalists, field trips, smallgroup hands-on activities, and class discussions. Class time will focus on concepts, and makingsure we all understand them. Reading the textbook is important for full understanding of thematerial, and I will let you know what to read as we go along. Also, homework questions will helpyou in understanding and studying the material, and illustrate the most important concepts.Extra HelpI hope you will feel very free to come talk to me about any aspect of the course, and especially ifyou need a little extra help. There is CAPS (Center for Academic Program Support), and you’rewelcome to use that resource, but I’ve noticed that beyond the basic physics we’ll be dealing with,the CAPS tutors don’t necessarily have much experience with musical acoustics. So start thehomeworks when they’re assigned, and come to me with any questions you might have.Office HoursTuesdays and Thursdays, 12:15 - 1:15, room 109, Regener Hall (phone 277-5911). If youwould like to talk about any aspect of the course, and you can’t make those times, we canmake an appointment. By far, the best method for contacting me outside of class is email([email protected]). The second choice is by phone to my office (room 31; 277-3166) in thePhysics and Astronomy building, which is located on the northeast corner of Lomas and Yale.Required TextMusical Acoustics, 3rdedition, by Donald Hall (Brooks/Cole Publishing).The Lab (P108L) There is lab which goes along with this course, and although it is not requiredfor the class, I do suggest you take it if you can (it is required for some majors). You can chooseeither of the two sections of the lab: Thursday morning, 9:00-10:50, or Thursday afternoon, 1:00- 2:50. The lab gives you an opportunity to spend time exploring some of the major concepts indepth, and will solidify your understanding. The lab is not required for the class, but your majormay require it, so be aware.GROUND RULES• The lectures and demos will be designed on the assumption that you’ve read the supportingmaterial in the text beforehand. I’ll let you know what to read as we go along. I will also assignhomeworks in class. Homework will be collected at the beginning of class on the day it’s due. So,you can see that it’s very important that you come to class! History shows that students who cutclass don’t tend to be successful in this course.• Your progress will be assessed through three in-class exams and the final, with each counting20% of the grade. Tentative dates for the in-class exams: 11 February, 11 March, 15 April. Thefinal will be held on Tuesday, 11 May (12:30 - 2:30). Also, I’ll assign homework (20%). You maywork together on the homework with other classmates - just be sure to write the names of yourcollaborators on your homework before you hand it in. I encourage you to form study- and work-groups – it’s a great way to learn. However, each person must hand in his/her own homework toget credit, and show work for each problem.• If, for some very valid reason, you need to miss an exam, the make-up will be an oral exam.No make-ups will be given unless arranged before the exam. No exceptions.PrerequisitesThere are no UNM prerequisites for the class, and I do realize that the vast majority of you willnot suddenly become physics majors (although, if you want to, come talk to me!). One of thefun things about the class is that the students come from different backgrounds, many from thefine arts and the humanities. The class will be as non-mathematical as possible, but we do needto use some math to understand the concepts. So, math skills as required for admission to theUniversity are assumed, and this level of math will be used in the homeworks and the exams. Thisincludes reading graphs, and early algebra skills. We’ll talk about logarithms in class as neededfor decibels. You will want to bring your calculator with you to class. This is a great opportunityto refresh and augment your skills in a non-threatening (I hope) environment. Please come talk tome if you have concerns. Use your resources - office hours and fellow students are great places toget support as needed.Optional ProjectIf you like, you may do a project on some aspect of acoustics which interests you. I would take thegrade on your project, and substitute it for your lowest in-class exam grade in the computation ofyour final grade (you still need to take all the exams, though!). You can’t replace the homeworkgrade. The idea of the project is to do original work, looking into some concept that interests youin more depth than we have time for in class. This project can take one of the following forms:Option 1: A 3-5 page typed report on a few of the hands-on projects from the book that you havecarried out, and that weren’t done in class. You could also do one of your own, as long as youclear it with me beforehand. Whether you need 2, 3, or 4 projects will depend on how involvedeach project is. You must discuss with me in advance.Option 2: in addition, a 10-15 minute oral presentation of Option 1. I intend to schedule oralpresentations during the last week of class.Option 3: a 4-6 page typed report on some aspect of musical acoustics of interest to you. Thisshould be based on at least 4 sources of information, at least two of which are beyond the textbookand the class. This can be related to your particular field, but must specifically contain physicsor acoustics concepts. This may or may not contain a hands-on component. (Be careful not toplagarize any of your sources.)Option 4: a 10-15 minute oral