Physics of Music-- Physics 341 -- Spring 2004

Lecturer: W. Unruh. 311B Hennings bldg (East side of bldg inside Rm 311).
Tel: 822 3273 FAX: 822 5324
Email:

Teaching Assistant: Lauren MacArthur
Email: lauren@physics.ubc.ca
Address: Rm 310C Hennings Building
Phone: (604)822-3726

Extra Tutorials will be arranged as soon as Lauren knows her timetable.

Web Site: www.theory.physics.ubc.ca/341-04
(For Assignments, Solutions, extra notes, this blurb, etc.)

Text:There is no "official" text book, but there are two books which are (strongly) suggested. Both have different strengths and weaknesses,

Course Times: Lectures MWF 11:00 Hebb 13


Course components: (The mark distributions are approximate) I have not made the above mark distribution definite as I want freedom to be able to adjust marks to take into account hapstances of the year.

I expect everyone to pass, although offer no guarentees. On past record it is very rare to fail the course if you put in the work. In fact, in the past students have, in general, done well, but this course will require you to think.

Purpose of the Course

The purpose of the course is to learn to look at and begin to understand the acoustical world through the eyes (or is it ears) of a physicist. This extends from the production of sound by musical instruments (or other means) to the transmission of sound to and through the atmosphere, the preception of sound by the ears and the experience of sound by the the mind. Despite the impression you may have formed of physics from high school, understanding the world like a physicist does does not necessarily mean understanding it mathematically ( there will not be many equations in this course at all), but does mean the ability to use simple physical models and ideas to understand the qualitative physical nature of acoustical processes.

My lectures will use a lot of demonstrations of acoustical and musical phenomenon. I hope that anyone who plays a (portable) musical instrument will be willing to bring their instruments in to play briefly for the class at the appropriate time-- not as a concert but to demonstrate to the rest of the class the nature of the instrument. I will myself be "playing" a variety of "instruments" thoughout the course of the term. (One of the things which makes the course fun for me is that I get the chance to make many weird noises.)

The mathematical level of the course will be no higher than Grade 10-11 mathematics with almost no "algebra". It will use graphs to convey essential mathematical information. A knowledge of rudimentary music theory is a help, but if you do not have it, all of the essential ideas I use will be covered in class.