Physics behind Our Instruments

By: Ky H., Bella B., Jack T., Brandon F., and Mimi P.

Chime Instrument: The chimes went through a number of design

changes. Originally, the chimes were planned to be strung between two
raised platforms with 4 strings. This strings would hold the individual
chimes aloft much like a rope bridge. However, the chimes kept bumping
into each other when hit, and there wasnt any more room to put in between
them, so I had to move to Plan B.
Plan B involved the chimes being strung between tall nails by rubber
bands. This design was similar to what everyone else seemed to be doing.
However, the rubber bands were too tight. They stopped the chimes from
vibrating, thus dulling the sound.
So that design was no good. I then had to move on to my third plan.
This time, I took the leftover nails that were still stuck into my board from
my second plan, and hung my chimes from them with spring. Now, they
resembled wind chimes. This design actually worked!
It may have taken a lot of redesigns to get my chimes to work, but
thats just part of the scientific method. When something didnt work, I
found a way around it. I even repurposed failed elements from old designs
in new ways to save building materials and time.
The chime's actual sound is determined by its length and its material.
Each material has a different natural frequency that creates a unique scale
of sound. This frequency can change based on size, thickness, and
composition of a material. The resonating sound is caused when the
material is forced to vibrate at its natural frequency (in this case, by hitting it
with a mallet).
The length and size of the material doesn't always relate to the
wavelength of the note in the same way. For example, if you hit a mallet
against a wooden chime, it will sound different than if you use the same
mallet to hit a metal chime of the same size and thickness.
There is, however, some relation between notes and lengths when all
chimes are made of the same material. To see the approximate
relationship, see this chart (Each octave is about 2 apart).

Interval

Ratio to
Fundamental
Just Scale

Multiply
Longest
Chime Length
by

Final Chime
Length
(cm)

Unison

12.728

Major Second

9/8 = 1.1250

0.9428

12

Major Third

5/4 = 1.2500

0.8944

11.384

Fourth

4/3 = 1.3333

0.8660

10.392

Fifth

3/2 = 1.5000

0.8165

10.063

Major Sixth

5/3 = 1.6667

0.7746

9.859

Major Seventh

15/8 = 1.8750

0.7303

9.295

Octave

0.7071

String Instrument: Our string instrument is based of the design of a guitar,

but with shamisen tuning and stringing. A shamisen is a traditional asian
instrument that has three strings, with a skin base. Originally, this
instrument is played by plucking the strings with a triangular pick. Our
instrument has 39.5 cm nylon strings. It can play all notes. How does our
instrument work? When we pluck the strings, the motion makes vibrations
in the air which are then created into waves with certain frequencies. The
wave travels to the sound box of the instrument. Here, the sound vibrates
the air molecules and directs them in a certain direction, thus amplifying the
sound. This instrument is called the shambu.
Drums: Our drums are made out of balloons and somewhat durable metal
coil. We built them by cutting metal Handyman coils and taping them in a
cylindrical shape. We then stretched balloons over the top, and adjusted

them as needed. As you can see, the bigger drums have a much lower
sound. The tighter the drum head is and the smaller the face of the circle,
the higher the sound. When the drum is tighter, it vibrates the air within it
faster because of the shorter wavelength it creates thus making a higher
sound due to the relationship between frequency and wavelength. We
made 7 drums, including a set of bongos and five loose drums, all varying
sizes. They can play the notes G2, A2, B2, C3, D3, E3, and F3.
When you hit the head of the drum, it sends vibrations throughout the
space in the drum, thus vibrating the column of air within the drum.
Depending on where and how you hit it, the drums can make different
noises. For the most part, they produce pretty consistent notes. Typically
we will be hitting the drum in the middle of the head to make a good, low
sound that stays consistent.
Click here

Wind Instrument: The wind instrument we made is made out of a long

pipe with a couple holes in it to differentiate the sound. The front has a
tenor saxophone mouthpiece for a slightly lower sound. There is a small
extension connected to the opposite end to get an extra note.
The way the instrument works is air is blown into the mouthpiece, vibrating
the reed inside to create a wave, then the wave is sent through the tube
and depending on how many holes are open the air is let out. If all of the
holes are open then the air is higher because it has a shorter wavelength. If
all the holes are closed then the air has only one opening to escape making
the sound have a longer wavelength so the sound is lower.
To create a note via wind instrument, find the wavelength of the note and
send air through a tube a quarter the wavelength.

Musical
Note

Frequen Wave
cy (Hz)
length
(cm)

Length
of Pipe
(cm)

Length
Diamete
of String r of drum
(cm)
(cm)

C3

130.81

263.74

N/A

39.5

N/A

D3

146.83

234.96

N/A

33.22

N/A

E3

164.81

209.33

N/A

31.35

N/A

F3

174.61

197.58

N/A

29.59

N/A

G3

196.00

176.02

N/A

26.363

8.5

A3

220.00

156.82

N/A

23.49

7.5

B3

246.94

139.71

N/A

20.924

6.5

C4

261.63

131.87

65

19.75

D4

293.66

117.48

58

N/A

4.5

E4

329.63

104.66

52

N/A

F4

349.23

98.79

48.75

N/A

3.5

G4

392.6

88.01

43

N/A

N/A

A4

440.00

78.41

39

N/A

N/A

B4

493.88

69.85

34

N/A

N/A

C5

523.25

65.93

N/A

N/A

NA