Physics of Music-- Physics 341 -- Spring 2025

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

Text:There is no "official" text book, but there are two books which are suggested. Both have different strengths and weaknesses, I would suggest you order them through Amazon or some book store

• T. Rossing, Wheeler: The Science of Sound.
  This is a good "textbook", whose mathematical level is, however, a bit higher than this course will use or require. Its approach is close to my own in philosophy, and he generally gets the science right ( which unfortunately is not true of all books on the this topic). If you find difficulty with the algebra, just skip over it and read the words and pictures around the equations. Try to understand the equation in a general way, but do not worry if you have difficulty. You will not be memorizing equations in this course.
• A.H. Benade: -- Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics
  This classic text (one of the first of the modern texts on the subject) is idiosyncratic, but covers a lot of musical acoustics and the science of how instruments operate. It is not a good main text but is a classic in the field and an excellent supplementary book which has the advantage of a cheap price as a Dover Paperback. Also, by its different approach, it can illuminate issues which my approach may leave shadowed for some students.

Course Times: Lectures MWF 2:00 PM Hebb 114

Purpose of the Course

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" throughout 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 using unconventional instruments.)
Demonstrations are always dangerous in that it has been shown that often students will see(hear) their preconceptions in the demonstration. I.e., the lecturer thinks that the demonstration is clearly showing A, in contradiction to B, while the student sees the demonstration as support for their preconceived notion B. If you have any doubt what you were supposed to have learned from a demonstration, please ask. If the demonstration confirms you in what you thought all along, please ask me to explain what the point of the demonstration was again. It is quite possible that the demonstration was then a failure for you.

The mathematical level of the course will be no higher than Grade 10 mathematics with almost no "algebra". It will often use graphs to convey essential mathematical information. A knowledge of very rudimentary music theory (intervals, notation, scales, note names) is a help, but if you do not have that knowledge, all of the essential ideas I use will be covered in class. Course components: (The mark distributions are approximate)

• Midterms=about 20%
  The midterm will take place toward mid February-- date to be determined. Traditionally my midterms have been hard especially because students are not used to my problem style. (I value people being able to think about what they have learned rather than rote regurgitation of the material).
• Assignments= about 20%
  There will be about 8 assignments throughout the term. It is important that these be done on time. Solutions will be posted here on this web site (www.theory.physics.ubc.ca/341-current ) Assignments will be due about 7 days after they are assigned and solutions will be posted about three days later. Assignments handed in after the solutions are posted will not receive marks.
  Late assignments will lose 5% per day, until the solutions are posted, at which time you will get 0 for that assignment if it has not been handed in. The solution posting time is the time of appearance of the solutions on the course web page, which can be accurately determined to the second. Note that assignments put into the box outside my office after I have left for the day should be date-stamped by some other responsible, disinterested person, so I know when it was put into the box. DO NOT put them into the metal racks outside 311B as I do not look for them there.
  You may discuss the problems with each other, and approach either me or the TA with questions (we will not solve the problems for you, but will try to provide guidance as to how to think about the problems) However, I expect all of you to write up and understand your own solutions. Copying someone else's solutions will not be looked on with favour. (Plagiarism-- the use of someone else's material as if it were your own-- is a high offence in the university. This includes copying other people's solutions to assignments or having someone else do your work for you. People have been barred from the university for such offences.) I do encourage you to work together on assignments and on trying to understand the questions, the course material or even how to do the problems by working together. However you must write up your own solutions, using your own understanding of the solutions in writing it up. Copying someone else does neither you nor them any good, and is dangerous if you get caught.
• Essay= about 25%
  Due: Last day of classes.
  Length: 10 pages.--ie, 3000 words
  Format: Up to you. (Eg, if a web page would be more suitable to the way you want to make your point, use that, or if a tape, CD, DVD, MD would be useful, I can read those-- but do not send me the computer files from proprietary editors (MS Word, etc) assuming that I can read them on my computer. I cannot. Of course you may use whatever document processor you wish to in order to produce a printed paper copy, which I can read. I can also accept postscipt or PDF documents for electronic submission. If in any doubt, ask me.)
  Make sure you reference your sources.
  The essay topic is up to you to decide. It can be on any topic in the physics of music. This should be a chance for you to study in more depth some topic which you would be interested in knowing more about. Topics in the past have ranged from the physics of some instrument, the physiology of the human ear, the perception of music and tonality, to the analysis of the sound structure of farts, or the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge ( an example of of low frequency acoustic feedback). People have also carried out experiments, either on an instrument which interested them, or on some other acoustical phenomenon.
  Please make sure that you have an idea of what you want to write on by the time of the midterm. You are expected to do your own (secondary source) research on your topic, and any indication of a "canned" essay (Ie, any essay written in whole or in part by someone else) will be regarded with great disfavour by both me and the University. (See the University Policy on Plagiarism in the calendar.) (Students have been expelled for handing in essays written by others, or where major sources were not attributed).
  You are required to state your sources for the material you use with an appropriate bibliographical reference. The format of the Bibliographical reference I leave up to you, as long as it allows me to find the location of the material.
  You can use the Web as a bibliographical source, but treat it with appropriate suspicion. Anyone can post anything on the web. Truth or validity need not be a criterion for posting material on the internet.
  Large Language Models eg Chatgpt, Gemini,...) You can certainly use them to get ideas, or hints of where to look for material. However using them to write your essay or parts of it is dangerous. It is dangerous from two aspects. One is that if you are caught, it is consdered plagiarism. The second is that the closest one can come to characterise all of these models is sociopathic. They have absolutely no care for truth or falsity. They will try to give you what you want. Remember that part of their training is all the speeches of Trump and his ilk. They also tend to be bad at math and logical reasoning. If I suspect you have had LLM do your writing for you, I reserve the right to question you on the topic of your essay. Look on the essay as a way to learn something new, not as a trial.
  Re the length. By 10 pages I mean about 3000 words, Title page, blank inside pages do not count as "pages". The shorter the essay, the more important the words contained in it are and it is hard (though not impossible) to make a 2000 word essay so compelling that this makes up for its length. Furthermore, very very few pictures are worth 1000 words. While the use of pictures is encouraged, they should be relevant and contribute to the understanding of the essay, and should be minimal size to convey what they are meant to convey. Essays over 4000 words annoy me. They must be read under time pressure at the end of term. (Of course, if the essay is so brilliant that I just cannot put it down, I might well not notice its length).
  Line spacing should be 1.5 to double space.
  Late essays will lose 5% of the maximum mark per week (or part of a week) late. Thus if the essay is marked out of 20 marks, each week or part of week late will lose 1 mark. The maximum possible loss is 20%, but by that time the marks have to be in to the dean, and you will get an Incomplete on the course. If that lasts long enough the mark you get will be as if the essay had gotten 0.
• Final= about 35%
  The final exam will consist of a number of questions of which you will not have to answer all for maximum marks (ie, there will be some choice). It will test a combination of your knowing the material and your ability to use it to think about the world of sounds and music.

I expect everyone to pass, although offer no guarantees. On past record it is 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.

Copying, Plagiarism, etc

As you should know by now, copying and plagiarism are frowned upon very strongly by the university. I also get upset. I am perfectly fine with you working together on the assignment but everyone should make sure that they write up the solutions separately. Simply copying your friend's assignment can land you in very hot water-- i.e., do not do it. Working together on the exams (Mid Term or final) is not acceptable.
Similarly, plagiarism is also not to be done. This includes using an essay you have already used for another course, copying other people's essays, buying essays off the web or elsewhere, having someone else (including some LLM write your essay for you), using material from the web or elsewhere without properly referencing it, etc.
The Calendar has an extensive section on Academic misconduct.
Plagiarism and Citation described and
Discipline for Academic Misconduct and especially
Calendar entry on Academic Misconduct
Please read them. Violation of these rules can lead to disciplinary actions, ranging from a mark of 0 on the assignment/essay, failure of the course, or expulsion from the university.

I do not pass essays through TurnItIn because I feel that their appropriation of your work to further they own commercial interests without permission or compensation makes my using it hypocritical. I do however have a fair knowledge of the material on the web and in books, and have often been able to identify when people have simply copied something. If I am very suspicious of a paragraph or so from your essay, I might submit it on its own to TurnItIn without any reference to you or the context of the larger essay.

Copyright William Unruh 2025