Demonstrations and laboratory experiments in a senior level acoustics course

Abstract

The Physics Department at the U.S. Naval Academy has a senior level four credit course (SP436) in acoustics (called “Acoustics”) that features a well-equipped laboratory including an anechoic chamber. The course is populated by Physics Majors along with a few Engineering Majors at times. This presentation will show how Mathematica 9 is used in the laboratory portion of the course to enhance lecture topics and student computational assignments. It is “hands-on” which helps motivate and enhance learning. Students learn the fundamentals of Mathematica as part of the laboratory experience. Tasks after data collection, including analysis and write-up, are done with this software. Workstations include laptop personal computers, spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, laser Doppler vibrometers, and various accelerometers, mics, hydrophones, and ultrasonic transducers. A demonstration of standing waves in a cylindrical cavity will be presented as a representation of some of our featured lab experiments—including: Helmholtz resonators, linear and nonlinear vibration of a circular membrane, or circular elastic plate, flexural waves on a thin bar, Chladni plates, the hanging oscillating chain, spectral analysis (Fourier series, Fourier integral), sound speed vs. temperature and salinity, acoustic landmine detection, moving coil loud speaker, waves on strings, transmitting arrays, and wave guide studies.