Seeing and Learning Astronomy and Cosmology Through the Lens of Music
Sloan Edward Williams III
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Give FeedbackLesson one: The Oscilliscope and Looking at Sound Waves
Part one—Romance Section:
“Conceptual thinking is built on visual understanding”
Johann Pestalozzi
First divide your class into groups of students with five members in each. Explain that each group will be drawing or graphing pictures viewed from the special oscilliscope that is in the front of the room.But, first there are some things to learn before they can see the waves clearly on the very small screen.
Have a hat or a small box with numbers ranging from one to four. Have each group come up tto the front of the room and pick a number out of the hat or box.You can also just assign numbers to each student in the group if desired.
After each student is in a group and has a number from one to four, explain that each number in their particular group will be learning how to operate a different function on the oscilliscope.
The first group at the oscilliscope will be shown by you, how each knob fucntions.The parts of the oscilliscope are as follows:
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1. the intensity knob:
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the intensity knob is used to control the strength of the beam in side of the scope. If the beam of light is too light to see on the screen, this would be the knob to turn or adjust.
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2. the Focus knob:
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The focus knob is the knob that controls how sharp or fuzzy the beam of light will look on the scope. If the beam of light in the screen part of the scope appears to be very fuzzy, then you will have to adjust it so that the beam of light in the shape of a wave can clearly be identified on the screen.
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3. Trigger Level:
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the Periodic nature of the wave form on the screen can be identified or made easier to find by adjusting this knob.This knob if not in proper adjustment , will flatten the signal on the screen to the point where you can not identify the wave pattern on the screen. This setting controls the amplitude of the wave.
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4. Time/divstion:
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the knob that controls the time or the speed of the sweep of the light beam seen on the screen is measured in milli seconds. Adjust this knob or setting so that the wave takes on the form of a pure sine wave, or saw wave ect.
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5. If the oscilliscope has two inputs (which is desireable), Channel A Postion, and Channel B Position. This is a part of the Vertical gain.
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the knob or knob that controls this section are used to place the beam of light on the target of the screen.
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6.Volts/Divsion both for A and B:
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the volts knob is used to boost the gain of the signal coming into the scope.The knob will adjust the size of the wave form on the screen.
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7. the Screen, which has a graph built into it.
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the screen does not need any spcieal adjustment.
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8. (microphone); you might need some spceial wires in order to attach this to the oscilliscope.
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the micophone should not be the type that one would use for a good recording session. This is due to the fact that the signal would be too weak with out some sort of pre amp.A simple micophone that comes with a inexpensive tape recorder will do nicely.
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9. optiional, Sound Generator, such as a electric key board ect.
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I plan to use a D-5 sound generator in order to make different sound wave on the scope. Any electric sound board will do in this case. If your scope has two out puts, use one for the mike and one for the key board instrument.
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10. Have a tuning fork, Pot top, Glass , or other sources of sound in order to make different types of sound waves.
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11. Have students of the first group make whistling sounds into the mic.Have a student draw the wave pattern seen in the scope.
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12. Have the first group show the the second group how to operate the scope and so on until each group has used the scope to indentifiy a different sound wave on the scope.
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13. Have each group present what they have found on the scope for the end of that class.
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14. Have each group keep their picture for furture reference.