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Re: [Phys-l] harmonics



Hi;

Yes, the difference between harmonics and overtones is important. In case you have not run across this: the strike tone of musical chimes (and several other instruments) is NOT usually a fundamental frequency of vibration. The overtones (which are not harmonics in an un-tuned instrument) are tuned (probably by trimming the diameter but instrument makers don't like to give away trade secrets) so that they are harmonics of a "missing fundamental". The new set of harmonics convince even trained ears that the missing fundamental corresponding to these harmonics is the pitch of the instrument. (Generally this can be shown by having someone match an oscillator and speaker to what they think they are hearing- most of the time they will match the "missing fundamental"). The really interesting thing is that you can supply just two of these harmonics, one to each ear using headphones, and get the same effect- the listener "hears" a fundamental that isn't really there. So the effect evidently occurs in the brain, not the ear.

kyle


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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:30:48 -0700
From: Roger Haar <haar@physics.arizona.edu>
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] harmonics
To: Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Message-ID: <480629B8.9060900@physics.arizona.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Hi,

I have been told that the situation is complicated by the flared end on
the brass instruments. Crudely, sound waves decouple from the flared
about when the diameter of the horn is about a wavelength. Higher
frequencies decouple at a smaller diameter and thus a shorter tube which
results in a shorter wavelength and a higher frequency. Thus the
"harmonic frequencies" are not exactly integer multiples of the
fundamental. I was told this produces the characteristic "bright" sound
of the brass horns.

Hopefully my source was not wrong about this.

Thanks,
Roger Haar
U of AZ physics

*******************************************
Anthony Lapinski wrote:
In teaching about sound, I am looking for a list of instruments and all
the harmonics they produce. I know the harmonics determine the quality of
sound from a musical instrument. Does anyone have or know of a good
website/reference/table/book that shows all the instruments, which
harmonics are present, and their relative magnitude?

_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l



------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:03:26 -0700
From: Leigh Palmer <palmer@sfu.ca>
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] harmonics
To: phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
Message-ID: <024084FC-6F62-4998-96F1-C9C05F35CA90@sfu.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

Thanks to John Denker for that UNSW physics of music site. It looks
like it has lots of useful and interesting stuff. I taught the physics
of music at SFU in the seventies and eighties with great pleasure, and
I have recommended this site to the professor who is teaching it now.

A book that the teacher of such a course should have on the shelf is
"Music, Physics and Engineering" by Harry F. Olson*. Some of the
material is out of date, and that doesn't surprise me since the photo
of the cover looks exactly like my copy, less the $4.00 pricetag. The
fact that this book is still in print more than forty years after its
second edition attests well to its quality and utility.

Let me also add a note here about the use of the term "harmonics". I
discontinued my own practice of using that term as a noun, and using
instead the more general term "overtone". This practice avoids the
confusion that may arise from using the two nouns somewhat
interchangeably. Thus I try to say "harmonic overtones" instead of the
common abbreviation "harmonics" that is heard in a musical context.

Leigh

*<http://www.amazon.com/Music-Physics-Engineering-Harry-Olson/dp/0486217698/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208365518&sr=8-1
>



------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:25:37 -0400
From: Calvin Kalman <Calvin.Kalman@CONCORDIA.CA>
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Physics Education Research
To: Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Message-ID: <a06240803c42d1b36c41f@[132.205.18.31]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

At 3:00 PM -0700 4/3/08, Richard Hake wrote:
*******************************************
ABSTRACT: High school teacher Ed Eckel complained in a PhysLrnR post
about the $149 price of the 2008 hard copy edition of Calvin Kalman's
book "Successful Science and Engineering Teaching. . . ." Kalman
responded that the 2007 paperback edition is only $30. A recent
PhySoc post by Art Hobson indicates a possible way to lower textbook
prices - authors can follow his example and complain to the
publisher - but the results of Art's complaint do not seem to have
had an effect on prices quoted online for Hobson's book "Physics:
Concepts & Connections." Joe Redish has outdone Hobson in lowering
book prices by placing "Teaching Physics With the Physics Suite"
[Redish (2003)] online and FREE to all! Paraphrasing Redish "Will
web documents with interactivity lead to textbooks just withering
away, despite their apparent current vitality?"
*******************************************


The price has been reduced

Amazon.com (US)has it at a 20% discount
http://tinyurl.com/5xyfhq

and Canadian colleagues can save 36% at Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/62uv4n

--

Best wishes

Calvin


_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
_/ Calvin S. Kalman, P. Phys. Phone: (514) 848-2424 xt 3284
_/ Professor,Department of Physics Fax: (514) 848-2828
_/ Fellow, Science College
_/ Member, Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance
_/ Concordia University
_/ Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 Calvin.Kalman@concordia.ca
_/
_/ Also Adjunct Professor Department of Educational
_/ and Counseling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
_/
_/
_/ homepage- http://physics.concordia.ca/faculty/kalman.html
_/
_/ Buy
_/ Successful Science and Engineering Teaching in Colleges and Universities
_/ at
_/ http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1933371161.html
_/ A Review of this book is found in Journal of Chemical Education Oct. 2007:
_/ http://tinyurl.com/2rt7tj

_/ For the research behind this book buy:
_/ "Successful Science and Engineering Teaching: Theoretical and Learning
_/ Perspectives (Innovation and Change in Professional Education)"
_/ at
_/ http://tinyurl.com/3qn237
_/
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_//_/_/

------------------------------

_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l


End of Phys-l Digest, Vol 39, Issue 22
**************************************

--
------------------------------------------
'Violence is the last refuge of the
incompetent.'
Issac Asimov

kyle forinash 812-941-2039
kforinas@ius.edu
http://Physics.ius.edu/
-----------------------------------------