STRINGS

Stringsarebasedonthevibrationofthestrings.Youcanchangethenotesbyhow
muchtension`isplacedonthestrings,andwherethetensionisplaced.

Ourinstrumentisaukulele,soithasfourstringsalltightenedtodifferenttensions,
creatingthenotesD,G,B,andE.Thelengthofthestringisalsohalfofthewavelength
createdwhenyouplay,itcreateshalfofastandingwave.Whenyoumoveyourfinger
higheracrossthestringsontheneckoftheinstrument,itchangesthetensionandthe
lengthofthestring,creatingadifferentnoteatahigherpitch.OurnotesstartontheC4
scale,lettingususethenotesC4,D4,E4,F4,G4,A4,B4,andC5.

Wealsoaddedfretsontheneckofouruke.Wemadethemoutofnails,andgluedthem
totheneck.Fretstellyouwheretopressdownyourfingersonthestringtocreatea
certainnote.Togetahighernote,thefretshadtobeplacedclosertogether.Toplace
thefrets,wemostlyusedourears,buttocheckourwork,wedividedthewavelengthby
two(2)togetthenotewewanted.

Wehaveapieceoffishinglinepullingonthebackoftheneckwecallitthetension
string.Theuseforthisisthatallthetensioncreatedbythefourstringsinthefronton
theukeaddalotofbendtoequalitout,weaddedastringinthebackwithequal
tensionsoitwouldntbreakorbend.

Thereisalsoasoundholeontheuketheshellofthesnail.Thesoundholespurpose
istohelpthesoundoftheoftheuketoresonate,andtoamplifythesound.

Chordscanalsobeplayedontheukulele.Chordsaretwoormorenotesplayed
togethertocreateaharmony.Whenyouplayachord,youarechangingthetensionof
onetoallofthestrings.Whenthishappens,youarecreatingdifferentnotes,therefore
creatingachord.

NoteWavelength(cm)FretPlacement(frombottom
oftheukulele)
C4

131.87

65.95cm

D4

117.48

58.74cm

E4

104.66

52.33cm

F4

98.79

49.40cm

G4

88.01

44cm

A4

78.41

39.21cm

B4

69.85

34.93cm

C5

65.93

32.97cm

WINDS
Windisanumbrellatermforinstrumentsthatmakeasoundduetothedirectvibration
ofyourmouthontheinstrument(likeatrumpetortrombone),ortheindirectvibrationof
yourmouthonareed,orawoodpieceontheinstrument(suchasasaxaphoneor
clarinet).Thevibrationcreatedgoesthroughatubeorpipethatisonequarterofthe
wavelengthcreated.Thatisbecausethereismorepressureatthepartofthe
instrumentthatyoublowon,anditslowlyreducestoneutralpressureattheotherend
oftheinstrument.

Ourwindinstrumentisapanflutemadeofsmallyogurtbottles.Webasedour
instrumentontheC4scale,soourinstrumentstartswithalengthof32.97cm.When
weblowintoourinstrument,wearepushingtheairmoleculesthatareinthebottleout,
changingthepressureinthebottleandthereforecreatingasound.Thefastertheair
movesout,thehigherthepitch.Inourcase,theyogurtbottlesaregettingsmallerin
size,sotheairwillleavethebottlequicker.Thereisadiagramexplainingthisonpage
four.Thereasonthewaveisaquarterwavelengthiswhentheairgetsblowninfrom
thetopitsatneutralpressure,thenitgoestothebottomwhichhasthehighest
pressure.Thentheaircomesbackuptotheneutralpressure,makeonlyaquarter
wavelength.

NoteWavelength(cm)Sizeofbottle(cm)
C4

131.87

32.97

D4

117.48

29.37

E4

104.66

26.17

F4

98.79

24.7

G4

88.01

22

A4

78.41

19.60

B4

69.84

17.46

C5

65.93

16.48

CHIMES
Chimesarebasedonthenaturalfrequencyofamaterial.Eachmaterialhasadifferent
naturalfrequency.Tochangethesound,youcanchangethelengthorsizeorthe
material.Bychangingthelength,wearealsochangingthenaturalfrequency.

WechosemetalinchEMTconduitpipes.Wechosetocutitat30cmtomakethe
middleCnote.Belowisachartthatspecifieswhattomultiplybytogetanote.Of
coursethoughitwasntallthateasy.Wewoulddecideifthelengthofthepipecreated
thecorrectnotebycheckingitonthetunerappandlisteningtoitwithourhumanears.
Sometimesanappcantbeastrustfulasourears.

Forourjardrums,wetookdifferentsizedjars(withthelidson)andhitthelidsin
differentareastogetdifferentnotes.Thelidswerealltightenedastightastheycould
beontheirjars.Butbecauseofthedifferentvolumesofthejars,theymadedifferent
notes.Wealsohappenedtoputwaterinsomeofourjarstohelpgetadifferentnote.
Also,sinceitwastighterontheoutsideofthelid,itmadeahighersound.So,in
summary,thepatternwehitthejarsdependedonthetightnessofthelidsonthejars,
andthevolumeofthejars.

Notes

MultiplyLongest
ChimeLengthby

LengthofChimes

MiddleC

1.0000

30cm

0.9428

28cm

0.8944

26.8cm

0.8660

25.9cm

0.8165

24.5cm

0.7746

23cm

0.7303

21.9cm

0.7071

21cm

Inthisimage,
theairthatis
beingblownis
partiallybeing
blownintothe
bottle,and
partiallyoverit.
Theportionthat
isbeingblown
intothebottleis
addingtotheair
pressureinthe
bottle,soit
pushestheair
moleculesinthe
bottleout,and
createsa
sound.

Thepitchofthesound
dependsonhowfasttheair
moleculesleavethebottle.
Inourcase,thesmallerthe
bottle,thefasterthe
moleculesleave,therefore
creatingahighersound.

LYRICS
TothetuneofImYoursbyJasonMraz
verse1:
Allthesoundcomesfromthevibrations
Whetheritsthestring,mouthorsubstance
Ibetyourewonderinghow
Wellhereshowitworks

Chimesarebasedonthenaturalfrequency
Theyallmakedifferentkindofsounds
Dependingonthelengthorsize
Tomakeitloworhigh

chorus:
Awiggleinspaceandtime
iscalledawave
dontyouallknow
Itsphysics!

verse2:

Wavesneedamediumtotravelthrough
solids,liquids,andgasestoo
thoughasolidworksthebest
Howoftenavibrationoccurs
iscalledthefrequency
Wavelengthisthedistancefromcresttocrestoh...

chorusx2

INSTRUMENTALSOLO!!!!!

Verse3(Woodwind/String):
Tofindthelengthofawoodwind
yougottacutthewavelengthintoquarters
Andthepressuregoes
fromhightolow

Thewavelengthofastringinstrument
istwicethesizeoftheactualstring
andyoucanchangethepitch
bychangingthetension

chorusx2