The physical nature of sound and light waves will be covered focusing on how they relate to music, art, theater, and each other as well as how subjective perceptions of the ear and eye are related to objective properties of waves. Offered as a general education science course for students interested in Fine-Arts, specifically, Music, Art, or Theater.
Goals, Topics, and Objectives
The goal of this course is to strengthen critical thinking skills and scientific literacy through the study of the objective and subjective phenomena related to sound and light.
- Vibrating Systems
- Waves
- Sound & Hearing
- Musical Intervals & Scales
- Musical Instruments
- Architectural Acoustics
- The Nature & Speed of Light
- Geometic Optics & Optical Instruments
- Interference and Diffraction
- Basic Color Theory
- Light & Color in Nature
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Relate the subjective properties of sound and light to their corresponding objective properties.
- Describe the characteristics and phenomena of sound waves, including reflection, interference, and the Doppler Effect.
- Describe the structure of the human ear and explain how it works.
- Explain musical intervals is in terms of steps in a scale and numerical frequency ratios.
- Describe how standing waves are produced on strings, in tubes, and on membranes.
- Categorize musical instruments by their physical characteristics.
- Predict and depict image formation for curved mirrors and thin lenses.
- Explain how optical instruments such as microscopes and telescopes work.
- Describe the structure of the human eye and explain how it works.
- Identify primary, secondary, and complementary colors.
- Demonstrate a basic knowledge of color addition and color subtraction.
- Describe the characteristics and phenomena of light, including reflection, refraction, dispersion, diffraction, interference, and polarization.
Meeting MTA requirements: Course transfers as an equivalent to similar courses at Eastern Michigan and Wayne State.
Assessment and Requirements
Students will be assessed of their learning by exams, class participation, homework and laboratory performance.
Outcomes
- Natural Sciences
- Category 6: Natural Sciences (Lecture and Lab)