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Physical Science explains many of the phenomona that we encounter in our daily lives. What many people find surprising is how much Physical Science (Physics) is embedded in the music that we all listen to every day.

This varient of PSC-1121 will use Physical Science to explain what music is, how it gets to our ears and how the brain deals with it. The class will look into what sound is and how music occupies a special place in the theory of sound. Physical Science explains how musical instruments actually work, how we reproduce music today in our computers, our iPods and on our CDs. The class will also look into why different musical instruments sound "different".

Also included will be the topics of why musical scales are the way they are, loudness, the acoustics of rooms, how microphones and speakers work.

It is hoped that this will be a pleasant way to learn about the world we live in and the basic physical science that controls it.

Each of the class lectures and occasional announcements will appear on this site. The lectures will usually appear before the lecture is actualy delivered but the lecture as posted may be a bit different from the one that is actually used (tweaking, added questions and exercises, etc.). Please check for new materials from time to time.

Class Materials:

Class Syllabus

Notes on WebAssign ...........FAQs on i-clicker

Lecture Set -00- Introductory Remarks (Session 1)

Set 1: Time and Distance

Links to Book Chapters and for better book prices.

Set 2: Some Boring Stuff

Set 3: Describing and Understanding Motion

List of EVIL (unregistered) clicker numbers

Set 4: Newton's Laws

Link to Some Notes about the music stuff
that we have discussed in class.
Some of this information has NOT
been covered.

Slides from Review Session