ElectricGuitar

Onaguitar,thestringvibratesandcreatesasound.Theelectricguitarworkson
averysimpleprinciple.Thepick,orwhateverhits/plucks/strumsthestrings,
makesthestringvibrate.Thestringismadeoutofametalwirewrappedaround
anotherwire,inaspiralformationthismakesthegroovesinthestring,makingit
easiertogetasound.Thisisbecausethegroovescreateavibration,evenifyou
slideyourhandalongthestring.Thereiswhatscalledapickupbelowthestring.
Thepickupconsistsofacoilofwire(Fig.1)withamagnetonit.Themetalstring
movesawayortowardsthemagnet,bothofwhichproduceasound.This
happensbecauseeverytimethestringmovesalittlebit,itproducesan
electronicsignalinthecoil.Thiscanthentraveldownawiretoanamplifier,
whichwilltranslatetheelectricpulsesintoacertainsound.Ifthereare261.63
vibrationspersecond,theamptranslatesthatintoC4.Thinkofitlikemorse
code,withaeachnumberofelectronicpulsesturnsintoaspecificnoteorsound.
Thetighterthestring,thehigherpitch.Thisisbecauseifitistighter,thestring
vibratesmoreinthesameperiodoftime.Thestringlengthishalfofthe
wavelengthbecauseitneedstovibratesatonestandingwave,whichisonehalf
thewavelength(fig.3).Ourstringlengthsaretheoretical,andtheywouldworkin
atheoreticalsituation.However,ourstingisadifferentsizeand/ortension,which
wouldproduceadifferentsound.Thisisbecausetheshortnesswouldmakeit
higher,butthetensionislessthannormal,soitevensoutandmakesthesame
sound.

Note

StringLength(cm)

Wavelength(cm)

F3(OpenString)

98.79

197.58

G3

88.01

176.02

A3

78.41

156.82

B3

69.86

139.71

C4

65.94

131.87

D4

58.74

117.48

E4

52.33

104.66

F4

49.4

98.79

PanPipes
Panpipesproducessoundthroughthevibrationoftheairsteamblowing
acrossanopenholeattheendofatube,thiscausesasiphoningeffectthatcan
influencethesoundsfrequency.Theprimarypropertythataffectsthenoise
producedbyapanpipeisthelengthofthepipes.Ifyoulookatapanpipeyou
mightnoticethatthepipesarearrangedineitherascendingordescendingorder
basedoffoflengthofthepipe.Theorderofthesepipesarearrangedbywhat
noteisbeingproducedandinwhichoctaveasinourpanpipeswehavethe
longestpipeatroughly10.2incheswhichproducesanE4incontrastwehave
oursmallestnoteat5.7inchestoproduceourD5.However,wefoundthereto
bealimittohowlongapipecanbewhenmakingourpanpipesasweoriginally
attemptedtomakeC4(12.4inches)andfoundthatitwasnearlyimpossibleto
maketheidealnote.OurcurrentarrangementofpipesgoesfromE4toC5going
from10.2inchesto5.7inches.Wegotthesenumbersbyfindingthewavelength
ofthenotewewantedthendividingitby4whichisdotothepipebeingaquarter
ofthewavewewant.Thisisthecasedotothepipeitselfbeingonlyaquarterof
thewave,beingthehighpressurezone,thenasitleavesthepipeitgoesinto
outsideneutralpressureairoutsideofthepipe,thenitgoestolowpressure,after
itincreasestoneutralpressurethenfinallyreacheshighpressureagainto
completethewave.Welaterfoundthatwecouldmaketwodifferentnotesoutof
asinglepipe,theexpectednotethatwemeasuredoutandanotewithamuch
higherfrequency.Wethenlearnedthatitinvolvedthesyphoneffect.Wefound
thisoutasitcreatesthesoundwhenyoublowmoreairoverthehole.This
followshowsyphonsworkastheincreasedamountwillincreasetheamountof
airtakenout.WithsomeresearchIlearnedthisprocessiscalledoverblowing
andcausesthepitchtojumptoahigherpitch.
Notes

Frequency(Hz)

Wavelength(CM) Pipelength(CM)

E4

329.63

104.66

26.165

F4

349.23

98.79

24.6975

G4

392

88.01

22.0025

A4

440

78.41

19.6025

B4

493.88

69.85

17.4825

C5

523.25

65.93

16.4825

D5

587.33

58.74

14.685

Chimes
Ourchimesworkbyvibratingattheirspecificnaturalfrequency.Every
materialthatcanvibratehasaspecificnaturalfrequency,whichisthefrequency
thatittendstovibrateat.Weusedmetalpipesforourchimesbecausethey
haveanicenaturalfrequency.Naturalfrequencycomesintoplaywhenit
matchesthenotebeingplayed,inwhichcaseitgreatlyamplifiesthenote.This
iscalledresonance.Thewavelengthandfrequencyofthenoteproducedby
eachchimeisdecidedbythechimeslength.Chimeshaveaformulaassociated
withthemtohelpdecidehowlongtheyshouldbe.Thatformulais F = A L2 ,
WhereFisthefrequency,Listhelengthofthechime,andAisanumber
assignedtoeachmaterialthatcanbedeterminedbymeasuringthethickness,
diameter,andspeedofsoundinthepipesthatyouareusing.Youcanseepart
ofourcalculations.Usingthisequation,youcancalculatehowlongapipeneeds
tobetoproduceaspecificnote.

EtoFandBtoCareminorseconds...everythingelseisamajorsecond
Note

PipeLength(cm)

Wavelength(cm)

Frequency(Hz)

C5

31.67

65.93

523.25

D5

29.85

58.74

587.33

E5

28.14

52.33

659.25

F5

27.58

49.39

698.46

G5

26

44.01

783.99

A5

24.51

39.20

880

B5

23.11

34.93

987.77

C6

22.64

32.97

1046.5

FindingA(usingC5)
F = A L2
523.25Hz = A 31.67cm2
A 1003 = 523.25
A = 523.25 1003
2
A = 524819.75cm
Hz

CalculatinglengthforD5
F = A L2
2
2
587.33Hz = 524819.75cm
Hz L
587.33(L2) = 524819.75
L2 = 893.57
L = 893.57
L = 29.89cm

Figure1

Figure2

Figure3