Location: Cabinet 4, Shelf 5
Description: These blocks are used to illustrate the relationship between pitch and length. One simply sets the block on the table, and then using the rubber mallet gently strikes the tops of the boxes. The boxes will produce different tones. Note that some of the boxes are cracked and should be handled with care until we have replacements.
Keywords: Music, Sound, Tones
Location: Cabinet 4, Shelf 4
Description: These shells can be blown into to produce a loud, rich tone. They take some practice to work smoothly, and are loud. You play them in a similar manner as a trumpet. Make the ‘M’ sound as you place the opening shown in the picture to your lips. Then while keeping your lips pressed together, blow. Without the shell, the shape of your mouth as you blow should sound like an elephant.
Keywords: Music, Resonance, Sound
Location: Cabinet 4, Shelf 4
Description: This is a wooden xylophone. It can be held up by one hand and stuck with the other if there is no place to hang it. The rubber mallet seen in the photo is what one uses to strike the instrument, and this mallet can be used with tuning forks.
Keywords: Music, Resonance, Sound, Wavelength
Location: Cabinet 4, Shelf 5
Description: These demos will require the boxes shown below and some sort of compressed air.
Both boxes have a nipple where one can connect a hose to blow air into the box. Once air is flowing you can change the pitch of the box by sliding the top in and out. Both boxes should have markings indicating the note at each length.
Keywords: Music, Sound
Location: Cabinet 7, Shelves 4 and 2
Description: Spectrum tubes use a high voltage power supply. It is important to use a power supply that will protect you from electric shock. A safe power supply has specially molded spring-loaded sockets to hold the tube, and heavy casing. The power supply switch should always be in the off position when removing or placing the tubes in the power supply.
Spectrum tubes are filled with a low pressure gas or vapor of an element or molecule. A spectrum tube should only be powered for 30 seconds at a time, and then allowed to rest for 30 seconds before powering it again.
The department has a large number of small cardboard tubes that each have a diffraction grating at one end. These can be used to view the various sources when the source is energized.
With that in mind, it's a good idea to get students to practice viewing the spectrum of fluorescent lights in the classroom before viewing the demonstration tubes. That way they can orient the diffraction grating and get used to what they should look for when viewing a spectrum.
The below is an older set of spectrum sources that need to be hooked up to a high voltage supply. It is bulkier and harder to use.
Keywords: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Diffraction, Spectra
Location: Cabinet 4, Shelf 2
Description: After making sure the metal plates are suspended via the strings on either side of each box, strike the metal to produce a tuning fork sound that is the same in each box. They can be moved around the room to demonstrate sound properties while continually holding a tone. However they should be placed before being striked as any movement quickly dampens the sound.
Keywords: Hanging Metal, Single Toned, Sound, Tuning Fork
Location: Cabinet 4, Shelf 4
Description: These are forks that can be struck with a rubber mallet to produce a tone. You can also strike them on the palm of your hand. It is not advised to use a hammer, table, or any hard surface to strike tuning forks. The forks should be marked with what frequency they produce.
Keywords: Sound, Tones, Tuning Fork
