LESSON PLAN

TEACHER Martine, Sam, Paige

Subject/Class/Course and date Physics 11

Topic Frequencies

Grade Level 11 Duration 30

Objectives/Outcomes (Indicate GCO and SCO) (Indicate SCO in student friendly

language)

GCO:Students will be expected to

• compare and describe the properties of electromagnetic radiation and sound (327-5)
• describe how sound and electromagnetic radiation, as forms of energy transfer, are produced and
transmitted (327-6)
SCO:
– explain how standing waves are produced in closed and open pipes
– make use of the phenomenon of resonance in pipes to experimentally determine the speed of
sound in air

Introduction (10 minutes)

APK Activity:
What do you remember from Grade 6 when we talked about waves?
What kinds of waves can you think of?
- We will give you time, as a table, to discuss this question. Write or draw what you discuss on the
piece of chart paper in front of you.
- After you discuss, we will come back together as a class and ask each table to give us their
highlights.

Classroom demonstration:

Use a large spring or slinky to demonstrate the characteristic of frequency. Expand the slinky and
have students hold each end. Make sure the students stand very still and do not shake the slinky.

To describe longitudinal waves, grab a few coils of the spring and let go of them. As the students
watch the waves travel through the spring, explain that these waves are longitudinal waves. Explain
that the release of the coils represents the source of the sound vibration and that this sound is
moving longitudinally across the slinky. Harmonic sound waves are usually longitudinal waves.
To show transverse waves, strike the spring at right angles to its length. Have the students describe
the up and down motion of the spring. Explain that this motion represents transverse waves. Radio
waves are examples of transverse waves used by engineers to send messages over long distances.
Transverse waves also travel on the strings of instruments, such as guitars and banjos.

Watch Short Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNf9nzvnd1k

Assessment

APK What do they know about sound waves and frequencies?

Complete handout (attached)
Figure out recorder song using given frequencies and temperature.

Develop the Instruction (15 minutes)

Fun Facts about sound: What is sound and frequency? Sound is a longitudinal
mechanical wave of any frequency. Frequency is the number of cycles, or complete
vibration experienced at each point per unit. Frequency is measured in hertz. The hertz, Hz,
is the derived SI unit of frequency. The frequency of a sound wave determines its tone and
pitch. The frequency range of a young person is about 20 to 20,000 hertz.
The human ear is capable of hearing many of the sounds produced in nature, but certainly
not all. Some low frequencies like a heart beat of 1 or 2 Hz can not be heard, just like sonar
sounds produced by dolphins which are too high. Any frequency that is below the human
range is known as infrasound. It is so low that it may be detected by a creature with big
ears, such as an Elephant. In fact, recent research indicates that elephants also
communicate with infrasound. Ultrasound, on the other hand, is above the range of the
human ear. Bats, whales, porpoises, and dolphins use ultrasound for navigation. Most bats
can detect frequencies as high as 100,000 Hz!

These are the formulas we discovered so far in the unit on Sound:

Speed of sound in air (m/s) = 330m/s + 0.60T
Where T = the temperature in Celsius
Frequency in a pipe:
𝑣(𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑)
f= 𝜆
Where:
f=frequency
v= speed of sound
𝜆 = 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ
In a closed ended pipe the wavelength = 4 times the length of the pipe
In an open ended pipe the wavelength = 2 times the length of the pipe
We are going to determine the frequencies produced when you blow into your recorders.
First I want you to take the top part of your recorder off and blow.(Jill’s table can describe
the sound to her). Now put your hand over the end and blow again. How did the sound
change? Now measure the distance from the hole on top to the open end.
From here we can find the frequency of that sound wave.

7.9cm = 0.079m
Speed of sound at room temperature is about 334m/s
f= 334/(2*0.079)
f=2113Hz

If we close the end of the pipe the sound is lower, which means the frequency has
changed. How do you think it has changed? Right, it should also be lower.

f=334/(4*0.079)
f=1056Hz

This is half the frequency of the first, they are harmonics of eachother. Who can tell me
what a harmonic frequency is in regards to sound? Right, it is the same note but a different
octave.
(We are going to find the different frequencies produced when you cover different holes in a
recorder).
Can anyone tell me how we might do this?
That’s right. By measuring the distance from the hole here at the top of the recorder to the
top of the first hole we are not covering with our fingers we can find the wavelength of the
sound wave.
Now we can complete the worksheet.

For an extension activity students will try to figure out a song given only the frequencies of
the notes at a temperature of 21 Degrees Celsius. (See handout page 2)

Closure (10 minutes)

We are going to go around the room and discuss the answers they arrived on. Any
volunteers to go first? If not then we will pick a table at random.
Is anyone brave enough to play the mystery song? Perhaps more than one of you will play
it for us. (5 mins)

Now we are going to conclude this discussion with a bingo exit ticket. We are going to get
everyone to stand up and do a stretch, walk around the class and find different people who
can answer the questions on the bingo chart. The middle one is a freebie!
Once you have a line either diagonally, vertically, or horizontally, you can sit back at your
seat. (5 mins)
Materials, Technologies, Safety or Special Considerations
Rulers
Recorders
Slinkys
Calculator/Cell phone
Hand out
Bingo exit ticket