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Pan Flute
A pan flute, is an instrument with multiple tubes, all closed on one side. Sound is created, by
plowing across the open end of the tube, splitting the air. The frequency and length of a tube are
inversely proportionate, so the longer the tube, the lower the pitch. To calculate the length of a tube, I
divided the wavelength of a note by eight, so it makes a full wave length. With most wind instruments,
you should divide it by four. With the pan flute however, the air travels to the end and back, so you need
to divide it by 8 instead of 4. Using a inch PVC pipe, I formed eight tubes, each with a different whole
note in the 3rd octave. When you blow on the rim of the tube, it splits the air, vibrating the sound in the
tube.
Chimes operate on the principle that each material has its own natural frequency. What this
means is that the material receives a vibration that resonates at a certain frequency. In order to obtain a
metallic and bright sound, it was chosen to use a metal piping. We found out what the correct length was
for our thickness of piping (we used standard EMT metal pipes) through websites, then cut our pipes to
size. A longer pipe can create a lower frequency (Hz), whereas a shorter pipe can provide a higher
frequency. This is because a shorter pipe can vibrate faster and at a higher frequency (same energy, less
matter to move). The frequency corresponds to the pitch.
We used the following lengths to obtain the pitches we needed.
After the cutting pipes to the correct length, they were mounted to a wooden stand using strands
of fishing line strung through two holes drilled at the top of the pipe. The small strands enabled the pipe to
vibrate through its full range. When hit with a metal object, the pipe resonates at the proper frequency and
produces a sound. For the purpose of this project, the metal mallet being used is a pencil with a metal grip
and tip. The plastic body of the pencil ensures that only the pipe vibrates, optimizing the sound produced.