Connections Competition highly commended Science and Music
- Luna, Lower IV
Science is a very broad subject and links into everything - a pen, a bird, a trampoline all need science to function the way they do. Something I’ve always been curious about is how musical instruments work and, as one might expect, we can tell they’re all very different, meaning the science behind it all changes from instrument to instrument. This idea first sparked during this year’s curiosity week, and I am determined to find all the answers I can to help me with this article.
First, understanding sound is very important in this investigation. Sound is a longitudinal wave that is caused by vibrations - something we’ve spent time learning about in our physics lessons. The pitch and loudness of a sound can differ, and these two elements are major parts of music. The frequency and amplitude of a wave affects the pitch and volume respectively, so that different sounds are made.
Although the science behind all instruments are different, we can get a rough idea of how every instrument works from their instrument families. This way we can easily figure out the rough shape of how all similar instruments work. For example, most woodwind instruments have reeds. Air is blown across the reed, making vibrations that travel down the instrument to produce sound. The physics of most woodwind instruments are the same, except for instruments like the flute since they don’t have a reed. In this case it would be different, although
the concept is still the same - a vibration is sent through the instrument that creates a noise. Most percussion instruments make sound when they are struck, like a drum or a glockenspiel. String instruments make sound when strings vibrate. Sounds from brass instruments are made from vibrations made by the musician’s lips. Your body is also used to make music, like body percussion. Even your voice, which is made when your vocal cords vibrate, plays a massive part in music.
The science behind how music is made is very important - without the physics, music would just simply not be music. The way sound and vibrations are caused, the pitch and volume of an instrument and the way it is played is all dictated by their connection to science, just like many other everyday things that simply would not work without the science at play behind the scenes.
