Form vs. Function
The 1896 Southern Theatre in Columbus, OH, known for its excellent acoustics.Copyright 2008 Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, Southern Theatre http://www.culture.ohio.gov/commission/detail.asp?id=674
Students model and design the sound environment for a room. They analyze the sound performance of different materials that represent wallpaper, thick curtains, and sound-absorbing panels. Then, referring to the results of their analysis, they design another room based on certain specifications, and test their designs.
Acoustical engineering is a specialized branch of engineering having do do with sound, or acoustics. Acoustic engineers design the sound environments for a variety of locations — inside and outside of buildings, as well as other locations where sound is an important issue (for example, along a highway in an urban area).
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Analyze different materials representative of ones used in acoustic design.
- Explain that different materials have different sound properties.
- Model a sound environment for a room based on provided specifications.