Music Box element with plastic box
Music Box element with plastic box
miniature piano sound board
miniature piano sound board

 

Code Number: 3B30.70

Demo Title: Soundboard

Condition: Excellent

Principle: Sound Boards and Sound Transmission

Area of Study: Oscillations & Acoustics

Equipment: 

Music Box element with plastic box, Table top.

Procedure:

Take the plastic box off the music box element.  Wind up the element and hold it in the air while it is playing.  The sound should be just barely audible.  Attach the plastic box to the element, or touch the element to a table top or tuning fork box.  The sound become very audible with the addition of the chosen sound board.

The front and back of a miniature piano sound board are shown with this demo.  Tapping on various places on the sound board will reveal those spots with good resonance.

References:

  • Bogdan F. Bogacz, Antoni T. Pedziwiatr, "The Sound Field Around a Tuning Fork and the Role of a Resonance Box", TPT, Vol. 53, # 2, Feb. 2015, p. 97.
  • George M. Hopkins, "Vibrating Rods", Experimental Science, p. 119.
  • Jodi and Roy McCullough, "Sound with a Music Box", The Role of Toys in Teaching Physics, p. 4.136.
  • Charles Vivian, "Table-Top Indian", Science Experiments & Amusements For Children, p. 89.
  • Martin Gardner, "The Ghostly Glass", Science Tricks, p. 62
  • Martin Gardner, "Musical Fork", Entertaining Science Experiments with Everyday Objects, p. 123.
  • Vicki Cobb and Kathy Darling, "Hearing Aid", Bet You Can!, p. 51.
  • "The Science of Sound", The Boy Scientist, p. 177.
  • "Music Box Mechanism", P7-7330, Arbor Scientific, 2004.