Teacher Resources
How to see your voice! As seen at KSTA 2011
Download the AudioAnalyzer.exe program to see your voice. The top graph shows the sound wave, and the bottom graph counts the vibration(s) in the wave.
System requirements
Windows XP, Vista or 7. The program works
better on video game oriented, media centric PCs and may not perform well on business or school optimized PCs.
Try these activities
- In sine wave mode, type in two frequencies: 440 Hz and 445 Hz. Note the beats. Gradually lower the 445 frequncy
to 440 Hz and note that the beats gradually go away. This is how musicians tune an instrument - they listen
for the beats to disappear.
- Listen to the following three frequencies one at a time: 440 Hz, 880 Hz, and 1760 Hz. They all sound
similar, but are clearly different. They are all the note "A" but at different octaves. Note that 440*2 = 880 and
880*2 = 1760. For a given note, to get the note an octave higher you double its frequency.
- Listen to the frequencies 350 Hz and 440 Hz. This is the standard U.S. dial tone.
License Agreement
The AudioAnalyzer is copyrighted by Scott Heydinger, 2011. By downloading the program you agree to the following:
1) Who can download the program? Teachers and students. Non-profits must request permission from
sheydinger@yahoo.com. Commercial downloading or use is prohibited.
2) The program cannot be sold.
3) The program cannot be uploaded to another website or transferred via any electronic means such as a
CD/DVD or email. If you use it in your classroom or at PD and encourage others to use it, others must download it
themselves from www.theunclassroom.org/teachers.php.
"Moon Jar" parts list
Learn how a balloon, light, sound, suction cup, water, and marshmallows behave in a place without air by making your own vacuum chamber out of an empty food jar and a few dollars worth of pneumatic parts. You can get everything you need at a typical pet shop, but you're better off buying in bulk from the suppliers below if you want to make a bunch.
| Description | Supplier | Part # | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| BD 60cc Luer Lok Syringe | Hocks | A105849 | 1 |
| Female Barb to Luer | Ark-Plas | AP15FL012N | 2 |
| Locking Male Barb to Luer | Ark-Plas | AP12MLFT12N | 1 |
| Barbed to Barb Tee | Ark-Plas | AP0412TEEN | 1 |
| Check Valve | Ark-Plas | AP19CV0012NN | 2 |
| Barbed to Thread | Ark-Plas | AP011227FA12N | 1 |
| Flexible Tubing, Vinyl | Ark-Plas | AP01PV121VNA | 18 inches |
Why switch from incandescent to CFL?
Compare the electrical energy used by incandescent and CFL bulbs with the Kill-A-Watt EZ, a simple meter that you can use at home to measure how fast typical household devices use energy (measured in Watts, or Joules per second). Easily confirm that a CFL replacement for a 60W bulb uses only 14W.
Kill-A-Watt products (recommend Kill-A-Watt EZ, should be < $30) are available at:
Amazon,
Lowe's,
Home Depot,
Radio Shack,
Sears,
Meijer,
Kmart,
Wal-Mart
If a 60W incandescent bulb uses electrical energy more than four times faster than a comparable 14W CFL, where does the extra energy go? Check out the spectral emission data measured with an Ocean Optics USB2000+ spectrometer to see how incandescent bulbs waste energy as invisible infrared light.