012-09265 Physics Experiment Manual 47 Sound Waves

Behavior and Characteristics of Sound Waves

(Power Output, Sound Sensor)

Waves and Sound: Sound waves DataStudio file: 47 Sound.ds

Equipment List

Qty Items Part Numbers

1 PASCO Interface (for one sensor)
1 Sound Sensor CI-6506
1 Musical Instrument SE-9081
1 Speaker WA-9900
1 Tuning Fork Set (optional) SF-9326

Introduction
This activity has three parts. In the first part, use the DataStudio program to generate output
signals to a speaker and use the Sound Sensor to measure sounds from the speaker. In the second
part, measure sounds from a musical instrument. In the third part, measure sounds from a human
voice.
Background
Most of the sounds we hear are noises. The impact of a falling object, the clapping of hands, the
sound of traffic, and most of human speech are noises. Noise corresponds to an irregular
vibration of the eardrum produced by some irregular vibration source.
The sound of music has a different characteristic, having more or less periodic tones produced by
some regular vibration source. (Of course, musical instruments can make noise as well!) A graph
representing musical sounds has a shape that repeats itself over and over again. Such graphs can
be displayed on the screen of an oscilloscope when the electrical signal from a Sound Sensor is
measured.
The Greek mathematician Pythagoras found that notes played together on musical instruments
were pleasing to the ear when the ratios of the string lengths were the ratios of whole numbers.
The Italian scientist Galileo introduced the concept of frequency. A sequence of notes of
increasing frequency makes up a musical scale. Many different scales exist. The simplest
musical scale in many Western cultures is the “just major scale” (for example, “do-re-mi-fa-so-
la-ti-do”). In this scale, the ratio between frequencies of two successive notes is 9:8, 10:9, or
16:15. For example, the ratio of “re” (297 Hz) to “do” (264 Hz) is 9:8 (or 1.125). Most music
written in the Western world uses the “even-tempered scale”, which has thirteen notes and
twelve intervals. The ratio between all successive notes is exactly the same (1.05946).
Prediction
If you could see a sound, what would it look like? Would a pure musical tone look different from
a scream? What about a sneeze? How would it look?
Setup
Part A: Generate Musical Tones
1. Prepare the computer and interface and start DataStudio.

PASCO© 2004 46 - 7 of 8
012-09265 Physics Experiment Manual 47 Sound Waves

2. Connect the Sound Sensor to the interface. Connect the speaker into the ‘OUTPUT’ ports
on the interface.
3. Open the DataStudio file: 47 Sound Waves.ds
4. Arrange the Sound Sensor in front of the speaker so the Sound Sensor can detect the
signal.
5. Start recording data.
6. Hold the Sound Sensor near the speaker. Set the first Signal Generator frequency at 264 Hz
(‘do’ on the ‘just major scale’).
● Click the ‘Frequency’ to highlight the value and type in the new value. Press <enter> or
<return> to activate the new frequency.
7. Examine the FFT display. Compare the value of the fundamental frequency in the FFT to
the output frequency in the Signal Generator.
8. Use the ‘Smart Tool’ to measure the fundamental frequency in the FFT.
9. Repeat the process for the rest of the frequencies in the first musical scale (the diatonic
scale).

Note Letter name Frequency (Hz) Note Letter name Frequency (Hz)
do C 264 so G 396
re D 297 la A 440
me E 330 ti B 495
fa F 352 do C(octave higher) 528
Diatonic C Major scale (“just major scale”)
10. Repeat the process for the frequencies in the second musical scale (even-tempered
chromatic scale). Click ‘Stop’ to end data recording.

Note Letter name Frequency (Hz) Note Letter name Frequency (Hz)
do C 262 so G 392
C Sharp 277 G Sharp 415
re D 294 la A 440
D Sharp 311 A Sharp 466
me E 330 ti B 494
fa F 349 do C(octave higher 524
F Sharp 370
Equal-tempered Chromatic scale
Part B: Musical Instrument
1. Use the same computer setup as in Part A. You will not need to use the ‘Output’ feature so
click the ‘AUTO’ button in the Signal Generator window to turn off the signal output.
2. Disconnect the speaker from the interface.
11. Arrange the musical instrument so you can play musical tones into the Sound Sensor.
● This part is easier to do with a partner who can run the computer and hold the Sound
Sensor while you play the musical instrument.
12. Start recording data. The data should appear in the Scope and FFT displays.
13. Play a single note (for example, middle C) into the Sound Sensor.
14. Examine the waveform of the musical sound in the Scope display.
15. Measure the fundamental frequency in the FFT display. If the waveform has harmonic
frequencies, use the ‘Smart Tool’ or ‘Smart Cursor’ to measure and record them as well.
● How can you distinguish the harmonics from the fundamental frequency in the FFT

PASCO© 2004 46 - 7 of 8
012-09265 Physics Experiment Manual 47 Sound Waves

display?
16. Repeat the process for a different note.
17. Click ‘Stop’ to end.
Part C: Voice
1. Arrange the Sound Sensor so it will be able to record your voice.
2. Start recording data. The data should appear in the Scope and FFT displays.
3. “Sing” a single tone into the Sound Sensor.
4. Examine the waveform of your singing in the Scope display. Experiment by trying
different vowel sounds at approximately the same pitch. For example, switch from “OO”
to “EE” to “AH” to “UU” to “AY”. Try other mouth shapes.
18. Measure the fundamental and harmonic frequencies in the FFT display.
19. “Whistle” a single note into the sensor. Examine the waveform in the Scope and measure
the fundamental and harmonic frequencies in the FFT display.
20. Change the pitch of your whistle. Examine the waveform and measure the frequencies.
21. Click ‘Stop’ to end.

PASCO© 2004 46 - 7 of 8
012-09265 Physics Experiment Manual 47 Sound Waves

Lab Report: Behavior and Characteristics of Sound Waves

Name:
___________________________________________________________________
Prediction
If you could see a sound, what would it look like? Would a pure musical tone look different from
a scream? What about a sneeze? How would it look?

Questions
Generate Musical Tones
1. How do the notes in the diatonic scale sound compared to the notes in the chromatic scale?

22. Do any of the notes in either scale have harmonic frequencies?

Musical Instrument
23. Describe the waveform of a single note on the musical instrument. Does it have harmonic
frequencies?

24. If the note has harmonic frequencies, how does the value of each harmonic compare to the
value of the fundamental frequency?

Voice
25. Describe the waveform of one of your singing tones. Does it have harmonic frequencies?

26. How does the waveform of one of your singing tones compare to the waveform of a single
note from the musical instrument?

PASCO© 2004 46 - 7 of 8
012-09265 Physics Experiment Manual 47 Sound Waves

27. If the tone has harmonic frequencies, how does the value of each harmonic compare to the
value of the fundamental frequency?

28. Which vowel sounds have the least complex waveform? The most complex?

PASCO© 2004 46 - 7 of 8
012-09265 Physics Experiment Manual 47 Sound Waves

Teacher Notes

Time Estimates Preparation: 15 min Activity: 30 min

Objectives
Students will be able to…
1. use a Sound Sensor to measure sounds generated by an interface, by a musical instrument, etc.
2. use the ‘Output’ feature of the software to generate musical tones
3. analyze the signal input from the Sound Sensor using the ‘Scope’ and ‘FFT’ displays of the software
4. determine the fundamental and harmonic frequencies (if any) of the sounds
Setup
The illustration shows the sensor connected to Analog Channel A and the speaker plugs
connected to the output jacks of the ScienceWorkshop 750 interface.
Procedure
For Part A, the volume of the sound from the speaker will seem to increase as the frequency of
sound increases for either the diatonic or chromatic scale. Challenge your students to keep the
sensor at the same position relative to the speaker during all of Part A, and to monitor the
amplitude of the signal that is displayed on the ‘Scope.
The fundamental is a high peak; the harmonics are low peaks at higher frequency than the
fundamental.
Prediction
If you could see a sound, what would it look like? Would a pure musical tone look different from
a scream? What about a sneeze? How would it look?
Sounds are made up of waves, so one way of seeing sound is to make a plot of its waveform. A
pure musical tone would have nice rounded symmetrical waves, while a scream would have
large amplitude and be very uneven and a sneeze would take very little time, and be very jagged,
like a bunch of mountain peaks pushed close together.
Questions
Generate Musical Tones
1. How do the notes in the diatonic scale sound compared to the notes in the chromatic scale?
Answers will vary. The notes in the diatonic scale tend to sound less evenly spaced than the
notes in the chromatic scale.
29. Do any of the notes in either scale have harmonic frequencies?
Answers will vary. In the examples shown, the notes do not have harmonic frequencies.
Musical Instrument
30. Describe the waveform of a single note on the musical instrument. Does it have harmonic
frequencies?
The waveform of a single note on the musical instrument in this example is less uniform than the
tone produced by the speaker. It does have harmonic frequencies.

PASCO© 2004 46 - 7 of 8
012-09265 Physics Experiment Manual 47 Sound Waves

31. If the note has harmonic frequencies, how does the value of each harmonic compare to the
value of the fundamental frequency?
Answers will vary, but harmonics are always integer multiples of the fundamental frequency
(e.g. 2f, 3f, 4f, etc.). In this example, the harmonic frequency is two times the fundamental
frequency.
Voice
32. Describe the waveform of one of your singing tones. Does it have harmonic frequencies?
Answers will vary. In this example, the waveform is less uniform that the waveforms produced by
the speaker or the musical instrument. The waveform is periodic, but appears to be the result of
a combination of simpler waves. The waveform in our example does have harmonic frequencies.
1. How does the waveform of one of your singing tones compare to the waveform of a single
note from the musical instrument?
Answers will vary. In this example, the voice waveform is more complex than the musical
instrument waveform.
33. If the tone has harmonic frequencies, how does the value of each harmonic compare to the
value of the fundamental frequency?
Answers will vary.
34. Which vowel sounds have the least complex waveform? The most complex?
Answers will vary. In general, the waveforms of “AH” and “OO” are less complex than “EE”
and “AY”.
Sample Data
These examples are the DataStudio FFT and Scope for a 264 Hz tone on the diatonic scale and
for a note produced by “whistling”. The sweep speed on the Scope is set to 10000 samples per
second. The sensitivity is set to 0.05 V/div.

PASCO© 2004 46 - 7 of 8