Resonating with Students in the Undergraduate Physics Laboratory: Comprehending Acoustic Vibrations

K. Stein, R. Peterson, J. Houlton, J. Knapp, B. Peplinski, C. Scheevel, and D. Swenson
Department of Physics, Bethel University, St. Paul, MN, USA
Published in 2008

Acoustic vibrations are studied for several objects through the application of computational and optical diagnostic techniques. Computational studies are carried out using the eigenfrequency analysis option in the COMSOL structural mechanics application mode, whereas experimental optical studies utilize real-time stroboscopic holography.

The two approaches provide complementary descriptions of the vibrational modes of a handbell, coffee cup and tuning fork. Together, COMSOL and optical diagnostics provide a powerful blending of computational modeling and experimental metrology that can provide students of applied physics, optics, and engineering with a fuller understanding on acoustic vibrations and an enriched upper level lab experience

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