The Mathematics of Music
a physics unit from vernier software brings together science, mathematics, and music in a harmonious way.
Think music and science can't possibly intersect? Think again.
If you're looking for a way to jazz up your classroom - literally, as you will see - Vernier Software and Technology offers resources that may be of interest to you and your students.
The company was founded in 1981 by Dave Vernier, who taught high school physics for 12 years. Its mission: Develop tools and materials science teachers can use to teach the fine art of probe and measurement.
The company does data collection, writes books that offer step-by-step guidance for classroom experimentation, and makes sensors. It also offers a calculator-sized interface, called LabPro, that plugs into the device that graphs or measures.
The result is that computers, Palm Pilots, and graphing calculators can be used to measure light, temperature, and ultraviolet rays.
And, of course, music. "I always thought it was interesting that an octave sounds good but that it also has a mathematical component," Vernier says. "We wanted to give kids a way to fool around with musical scales and discover interesting relationships."
Mathematics of Music, the 23rd experiment in Vernier's booklet, Physics With Computers, does just that. It helps students and teachers probe the intricate architecture of music to discover how closely musical scales are tied to mathematics.
Using a musical instrument—such as an electronic keyboard— a Vernier microphone and a computer, students can determine the frequencies of the notes of a musical scale, examine the differences and ratio between those notes, and determine the mathematical patterns used in musical scales.
Here's how it works. The Vernier microphone, which interfaces with the computer, records the waveform of the sound that is produced. In turn the computer performs a mathematical analysis of the waveform—called an FFT, for fast Fourier transform—that determines the fundamental frequency of the sound.
The challenge for students: to measure the frequencies of all the notes of a chromatic scale, and then determine a mathematical pattern.
In addition to physics, Vernier Software and Technology offers curricular materials and technology for chemistry, biology, earth sciences, middle school science, and physical science. Most of the books come in multiple editions—depending on the devices used—and each book includes approximately 30 experiments.
Most of his company's materials, Vernier says, are written by teachers in collaboration with Vernier's staff, most of whom are former teachers. For more information on Vernier Software and Technology, visit http://www.vernier.com.
patrick collins is a Portland freelance writer.
|
