Advanced Physics Seminar, Waves

Students in our advanced physics seminar, Waves, visited Meyer Sound to learn about sound waves. They met with audio engineers to see how sound systems are assembled and used to shape the sound in concert halls and theaters. They visited an anechoic chamber, which absorbs all reflected sound. They also experienced how 2-D and 3-D speaker arrays can make a small theater sound like a big one, and a big theater sound small.
This hands-on advanced course explores sound waves and music, light waves and color, matter waves and earthquakes. This semester students have built musical instruments, radios, and telescopes, while focusing on conceptually understanding the physics principles behind waves.