Build a Band
Our Goal
For our first in-person learning project, our group of three was to create three instruments that modeled what we'd learned about waves and vibrations. Maya, Darragh, and I all focused on individual instruments so that we could work on them the days we were on zoom, but we gave feedback and helped each other when needed. The three types of instruments required were string, wind, and chime, and each one had to produce eight different notes and frequencies.
Evidence of Work
Research Information
Descriptions and Explanations of Instruments:
This document includes how our instruments work, our original blueprints, the final products, and a chart with each note's string length, full wavelength, and frequency.
Our Process
During week one, we learned about and did research on waves and how they transfer energy. Next, we had to take what we had learned and create a blueprint for an instrument that would produce these waves and vibrations, and amplify the sound. We then were able to look through the last year's students' unfinished projects and see if there was anything we could use that was helpful to us. I found a half built guitar which I took apart and used the box from to amplify the sound. I then had to add a neck and redo the attachments to the box that would hold the strings. After all three of our instruments were built, we needed to describe our instruments and how they worked which is in the second document attached above. Lastly, our group attempted to learn a song we could play all together, and we chose Do Re Mi from "The Sound of Music".
Content
Crest
The highest surface part of a wave. Measured in meters.
Trough
The bottom most part of a wave. Measured in meters.
Wavelength
The distance of a wave from crest to crest. Unit is meters.
v = f λ
Amplitude
The height from the equilibrium line to the crests/troughs. Unit is meters.
Frequency
The amount of waves per second. Measured in waves/second or Hertz.
v = f λ
f = 1 / period
Period
Time required to make one wave. Unit is seconds.
period = 1 / f
Velocity (wave speed)
Wave speed is distance traveled in a given amount of time. Measured in meters/second.
v = f λ
Transverse Wave
Particle motion perpendicular to direction of wave motion (ex. light). No medium required. Model of how energy is transferred.
Longitudinal Wave
Particles compress and rarefy as wave energy moves along (ex. sound). Parallel particle motion. Needs a medium. Model of how energy is transferred.
Electromagnetic Spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is a continuous range of waves extending from radio waves to gamma rays.
Reflection
This project was fun to complete because we got to use the makerspace to construct using some of the leftover materials from previous projects. I enjoyed being able to create something that worked consistently. Even though I didn't know too much about this topic before, the other members of my group did so they were able to tell me if something was out of tune or not. I feel like we all worked nicely together, but were able to figure out each of our parts on our own.
Something I exceeded at in this project was work ethic and productivity. I was able to finish building my instrument very early on, and then it was just fine tuning the strings part from there. I got a good start on each assignment in the first few days they were assigned, as did my other group members. The next area I did well in was critical thinking. After I completed building the main base of the instrument, I realized I wouldn't be able to get the correct notes off of just the length of the strings. The solution was to wrap the fishing line around the screws and use a screwdriver to turn the screws and adjust the tension.
One thing I think I could have done better in this project was collaboration. Even though we were able to communicate more in-person, in the beginning there weren't very many instances where we worked together on the project. Maybe this was because we all had our own separate pieces of the project to plan, but I still feel like we could have bounced more ideas off of each other in the early stages. Next project, I will make sure to collaborate more with the rest of my team for the initial planning.