Activity (Hands-On)Grades 9 - 12
Wind Chimes
Students design and build their own wind chimesCopyright Flickr https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3219/3290071591_a070af60bb_o.jpg
Students are challenged to design and build wind chimes using their knowledge of physics and sound waves, and under given constraints such as weight, cost and number of musical notes it must generate. They make mathematical computations to determine the pipe lengths.
Everyday, engineers design and create products, structures and systems, working within given constraints. In this "open-ended design," the potential exists for many creative solutions!
After this activity, students should be able to
- Explain the relationships between wave velocity, wavelength and frequency.
- Calculate the length of a pipe needed to provide a certain musical note.