HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICS 1 COURSE. ( SPH 3U1/SPH 4A1)
updated: Aug 2006

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Unit 2: Waves and Sound

Sound and music represent significant elements in today's culture. A world without sound would be a very different place. Radio, television, and the telephone are examples of technologies that make use of sound. Sound and music are used to communicate ideas, information, and emotions yet we regularly endanger our ability to hear by exposing ourselves to sound levels that have been shown to cause hearing loss. This unit is intended to help you understand some basic concepts of sound and waves, including how the human ear works.

Lesson

Topic

Pages in Text

Homework

1.

Vibrations & Waves
(period, frequency, wavelength, amplitude, transverse, longitudinal)

194-199
205-208

p198 #1-8
Draw 4 wavelengths with A=2cm, l=3cm
2. Seismic Waves
Universal Wave Equation
209-211
read this:
S and P waves 		p211 #1-8 (bottom)
3. LAB: Speed of waves in a spring.
 203 (Lab 6.2.1)
 --
4.

Reflections from fixed and free ends?
Superposition Principle

 212-214
219-222
 p221 #1,2;
p222 #1,2
adding sine waves (handout)
5. Standing Waves
Beat Frequency
Interference in 2-D
 226-230
264-266
231-232,262 		p229#1 (find the error)
p230 #1;
p232 #4 (top);
p266 #2
6. Speed of sound, transmission of sound
Mach number, sonic booms, Doppler Effect		 238-243, 245-246
267-272
 p241#1,3;
p246#1,2,3,6
p269#1; 270 #3,4 or p272#3,4
7. Resonance 223-225 p225 #1,2 (top) #2 bottom
8. Pendulum [do on a short period day] 199-201 --
9. Characteristics of Sound
Hearing: ear, decibels, freq. response
 247-253 What is ultrasound? What are 3 uses for ultrasound?
10. Vibrating Strings
Harmonics
Resonance In Air Columns		 281-283
284-286
289-292
 p286 #3 (top);
write out sample problem #2 from p289; p290 #1-3; p292#2
11. LAB: Speed of sound using air columns 287-288 --
12. Musical Instruments 293-300 p312 #3,4,12,13
13. Musical instruments (cont.?)
Applications: ultrasound, acoustics		 254-258
307-309
  
14.

Review
p207 #1-5; p234 #11-15; p281 #4; p316 #5,13,18,24,31,44; ...
Also: parts of the ear and their function.
15. UNIT TEST
16. Later: Musical Instrument Presentations.

Extra Resources

JetStream: The Ocean http://www.srh.weather.gov/srh/jetstream/ocean/oceans_intro.htm

 

Assignments:

 

Sources:

Waves and Sound Unit Objectives (or Outcomes)

By the end of this unit the student will be able to

compare the speed and transmission of transverse and longitudinal waves in solids, liquids and gases
describe resonance and the conditions needed for it to occur
explain how resonance is used in musical instruments
apply knowledge of sound and waves to acoustics and ultrasound.

define & use terms related to waves: amplitude, wavelength, frequency, period, phase, superposition, longitudinal, transverse, interference, standing waves, resonance
illustrate superposition, constructive, and destructive interference with diagrams
use the universal wave equation to find v, f, or ?
determine amplitude, wavelength and frequency of a transverse wave from a graph
describe and sketch the reflection of a wave from fixed and free ends of a string
state what factors determine the speed of a wave on a string
find the speed of sound at a given temperature (using v = 331 + 0.6 T)
sketch standing waves for strings, open and closed air columns
determine the wavelength and frequency of these standing waves
explain the cause of the Doppler effect
use the Doppler equation to solve problems
show how the superposition principle creates standing waves

derive and use the formula for the period of a simple pendulum
state what approximation must be made in deriving the period

label a diagram of the human ear and describe the function of each part
relate decibel levels to hearing loss and take protective measures
explain how beats occur and determine the beat frequency
explain how sonic booms occur and what happens when you break the sound barrier

Legend:
Ministry of Education requirement
AP Physics requirement
Teacher's extra requirement

Not done: in-phase / out-of phase

Last updated: Aug 2006