Acoustic Impedance
Acoustic impedance is a measure of how well a sound wave travels in a pipe, and this lab provides a look into this phenomenon well beyond the over-simplified standing-wave explanation one sees in Introductory Physics. This experiment should be of particular interest to musicians, particularly brass/woodwind players.
It's new to CSUC as of summer '17. I stole the idea from Dr. Herbert Jaeger at the summer AAPT meeting (July 2017) and haven't actually tried it here yet although the circuitboard is designed and on order. Dr. Jaeger's demonstration seemed straightforward; it should work.
Reading
- Dr. Jaeger's handout from the AAPT meeting
- Also check references from Dr. Jaeger's handout!
Location
Under Construction
Equipment needed
- Computer-controlled function generator
- LabVIEW-compatible interface (ELVIS or USB-6212)
- Driver/Microphone circuitboard
- Various PVC pipes and/or old instruments
Cautions
- Possibility of annoying noises.