The beautiful patterns created by a vibrating string provide clear motivation for the concepts of wavelength and frequency . The built-in synthesizer allows exploration of sound, including interference , beats , and resonance . Some of the Sound and Waves Activities bridge the gap between art and science by exploring the nature of the musical scale and how instruments create different notes. The measurement of frequency, period, and wavelength adds new skills to the student's toolkit for observing nature. The wave experiments demonstrate harmonic motion and help students understand waves and vibrations in many different contexts.
Students can actually see wavelength, resonance, frequency, and amplitude.
They can hear the effects of interference, beats, consonance, and dissonance. The activities span the entire range of inquiry from middle school through college. The Sound and Waves Activities are still being worked on. Students make beautiful wave patterns on a vibrating string and learn how to measure frequency and wavelength. Students discover that the waves only happen when certain conditions are met.