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Acoustics

MST Project

Christopher Landis
Albion High School

      In this MST Project, the following focus question will be addressed. How is sound quality affected by the properties of the physical space in which it is generated?

      The two standards related to the focus question are Math Standard 3.5 Measurement and Technology Standard 5.1 Engineering Design. The Measurement Standard states: "This standard is met when ever students use direct measurement to make a comparison between two objects. For example building a scale model, would require the use of measurement and unit conversions." The data that I would need to measure would be the quality, tone, and fullness of the sound produced by a steady source (e.g. synthesizer and/or tuning fork). The Engineering Design Standard mentioned above states: "Any project that involves the design process would fit this standard if it involves a student's design. Then the project must include multiple revisions of the design. If the project is about someone else's invention then it must include information about the changes and revisions to the original design." This would be implemented in looking at the designs of rooms and buildings to fit its acoustic needs.

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      Acoustics is the term sometimes used for the science of sound in general. It is more commonly used for the special branch of that science, architectural acoustics, which deals with the construction of enclosed areas so as to enhance the hearing of speech or music. In present usage, the term sound implies not only phenomena in air responsible for the sensation of hearing but also whatever else is governed by analogous physical principles. Thus, disturbances with frequencies too low (infrasound) or too high (ultrasound) to be heard by a normal person are also regarded as sound. Acoustical design must take into consideration that in addition to physiological characteristic of the ear, hearing is complicated by psychological characteristic. For example, sounds that are unfamiliar seem unnatural. Sound produced in an ordinary room is somewhat modified by reverberations due to reflections from walls and furniture; for this reason, a broadcasting studio should have a normal degree of reverberation to ensure natural reproduction of sound. For best acoustic qualities, rooms are designed to produce sufficient reflections for naturalness, without introducing excessive reverberation at any frequency, without echoing certain frequencies unnaturally, and without producing undesirable interference effects or distortion. This project will present the ideas and strategies for designing these facilities.

      Sound-wave interference must be taken into account when constructing concert halls, so that destructive interference does not result in areas in the hall where the sounds produced on stage cannot be heard. To read how acoustics can be designed for concert halls, you can read an article called "Reliability of Scale-Model Researches: a Concert Hall Case" 483 KB (Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 Required). Most of our music making is carried out indoors. In such a situation, the listener's experience is formed almost as much by the room itself as by the instruments. For a successful performance (or recording), the concert space (or studio, or living room with recorded sounds) must fulfill the following:

These goals are more or less in order of importance. The last requirement will not affect the concert itself, but may affect the possibility of holding future concerts. Another important aspect of room acoustics is insulation from unwanted sound. This is obtained by carefully sealing even the smallest openings that can leak sound, by using massive walls, and by building several unconnected walls separated by dead spaces. With these criteria in mind, we will examine the important structural factors of the room which control them.

Acoustics is used almost everywhere. The first annular ring depicts the traditional subdivisions of acoustics, and the outer ring names technical and artistic fields to which acoustics may be applied.

Acoustics Everywhere

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