Help Requested on Science Project

MF Fan · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2003 6:00 am Post subject:

My 11 year 5th grader is a 2nd year trumpet player. He has to do a science fair project after the first of the year. I suggested he do a project that explains how sound is produced by brass instruments. I imagine the average person believes it's due to air passing through the instrument vs. the resonation, standing wave, etc. We've envisioning rubber hoses of various lengths to demonstrate how the various lengths affect pitch, etc.

Does anyone know of any good on-line resources for the basic physics related to brass instruments that we could use as source material?

Thanks!

valvepimp · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2003 6:11 am Post subject:

This site was recently posted in the Pedagogy forum:

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/%7Ejw/brassacoustics.html

Perhaps you can glean something for your kid's project therein.
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bigbrowncow · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2003 11:15 am Post subject:

Nick Drozdoff's site at http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/3941/ is very good.

If you're near a library, the books to look at are by Arthur H. Benade. Probably worth doing a web search on his work.

Steve
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Bach 43 custom

SCtrumpet · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:25 pm Post subject:

Maybe if you show putting your mouthpiece in a gardenhose (not from the backyard) with different sized funnels (or maybe even the same sized funnel might work the same way) as the bell. Different length gardenhoses show that the longer the tube (instrument) the lower the pitch, in combination with the valves shows the difference between a trumpet and say a tuba for example.

Friends who are education majors with me at Rhode Island College used it for there Student teaching projects

Sammy

Questions? email SCtrumpet1127@hotmail.com

rafterman · Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2003 3:59 pm Post subject:

check the Hosaphone site by running a search here. Several hosaphones can combine in a recital. Have some extra MP and steralizing solution so kids can try different horns. Drill holes in appropriate pipe and play the instrument like a recorder driven by a brass MP. Besides the serious science, kids should participate with the inventions. Perhaps expand beyond the trumpet and link up with reeds, drums, piano, etc for hands-on efforts.

Last year the NJ science center had an exhibit on the body that included flatulance and spit.

I think it would be great to take this project to some type of new level that was funny, experiential, and serious.

http://roth-music.com/hosaphone/

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=trumpet+science+projects

Let us know were it's happening. I like going to these project exhibition.

[ This Message was edited by: rafterman on 2003-12-25 19:05 ]