Topics for LifeQuest Class: Sound, Physics, and Music

  http://www.ualr.edu/dcwold/

  1. Motion, Vibration, and Waves (11:00 a.m., Wed., September 19, 2007)
        1.1  Describing motion
        1.2  Understanding motion, force, and energy
        1.3  Periodic motion: vibration and oscillation
        1.4  Simple harmonic motion
        1.5  What is a wave?
  2. Waves and Sound Propagation (11:00 a.m., Wed., September 26, 2007)
        2.1  Transverse and longitudinal Waves
        2.2  Basic phenomena and properties of waves
        2.3  Sound radiation from a baffled piston
  3. Harmonics & the Overtone Series (11:00 a.m., Wed., October 3, 2007)
        3.1  Transverse standing waves
        3.2  Resonance and the overtone series
        3.3  Longitudinal standing waves
        3.4  Superposition of waves
  4. Understanding Complex Waves (11:00 a.m., Wed., October 10, 2007)
        4.1  Synthesis of complex waves
        4.2  Fourier analysis and Fourier spectra
        4.3  Analysis of tone quality (including audio MP3 files)
        4.4  Resonance curves and musical sound production
        4.5  Synthesizers
  5. The Human Ear (11:00 a.m., Wed., October 17, 2007)
        5.1  Peripheral auditory system, (Dr. Gail Weddington)
        5.2  Place theory of hearing, (Dr. Gail Weddington)
        5.3  Hearing loss, (Dr. Gail Weddington)
        5.4  Cochlear implants, (Dr. Gail Weddington)
  6. The Human Voice (11:00 a.m., Wed., October 24, 2007)
        6.1  Energy input and the primary vibrator
        6.2  The resonant vibrator: anatomy of the vocal tract
        6.3  Vocal tract resonances
        6.4  Singing "over" the orchestra
        6.5  Tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis
  7. Musical Scales & Pitch (11:00 a.m., Wed., October 31, 2007)
        7.1  Background and historical perspective
        7.2  Equal temperament
        7.3  Common intervals found in the equal tempered scale
  8. Woodwind, Brass, String, and Percussion Instruments (11:00 a.m., Wed., November 7, 2007)
        8.1  History of woodwind instruments
        8.2  Recorders
        8.3  Sound production in brass instruments
        8.4  Theory of bowed instruments
        8.5  Percussion instruments