Textbook: Musical Acoustics 3/e ; Donald E. Hall. . . Other sources, including links to useful web sites.
Welcome to Acoustics! This is a 100-level course with no prerequisites. If you
are coming in with little or no science and math background, don’t be alarmed.
We will go over the mathematical content as slowly and thoroughly as is needed.
However, do acquire a calculator that can handle logarithms.
Where this course falls on the continuum between fairly pleasant and really
great is going to depend quite a lot on what the students bring to it. So please
be ready to do your part.
Course mechanics
Meeting times: We will meet Tuesday through Friday mornings at 9 am in Olin 263. We will meet on Monday afternoons, to avoid a conflict with the over-50 drop-in hockey game Monday mornings at Sertich. Other afternoons will usually not be scheduled for class meetings, although some of the lab exercises may need to be completed then. We may also arrange one or two field trips that will take up some of the afternoons.
Labs: These will generally be quite simple. You will be required to complete
the labs satisfactorily in order to pass the course. Exceptional performance
may improve your course grade.
Homework: Our experience in the physics department is that not doing the
homework assignments is usually fatal. Some of the assignments will be collected
and even graded; you will be told when this is the case. There are some answers in the back of the book. Assignments are listed here.
Tests: There will be approximately two during the block and then a comprehensive
final on the last Wednesday morning of the block. Often the tests are open-book,
open-note. Look for previews and solutions here.
Projects: You will most likely have to complete and present to the class at least
one project.
These are typically very enjoyable and educational, but of course they do mean
a fair amount of work. The projects page has a few ideas, beginning with ideas from a couple years ago.
Your grade: Will depend mostly on your tests and on your projects. There
will be influences from class participation and lab. All grades are on a curve.
Office hours: I am usually in my office
till about 6 pm. I rarely have anything better to do than to talk to students
so don’t hesitate to stop by. At noontimes, I am either in a department
meeting (first and third Mondays of the block) or a seminar, or I am at the ice rink. You’re welcome to put on
a pair of skates and discuss acoustics, or anything else, at that time.
I’m hoping we all have a good time in here. ----- Stephanie