Music & Sound
The math of sound and music
3 live exhibits. Each one already works. Change a number and see what happens.
Open as board Play with these together. Solving one grows related exhibits.
Exponents & LogarithmsDecibels: why two speakers aren’t twice as loud
Sound is measured on a log scale. Double the speakers: +3 dB. Double the distance: −6 dB.
TrigonometrySine waves: wall power and musical notes
The outlet and a tuning fork follow the same curve: amplitude, frequency, and phase.
PolynomialsWhy a distortion pedal changes the sound: polynomials make harmonics
Push a pure note through a curve like x − x³/3 and new notes appear. The cube is where the extra harmonics come from.