Course Goals
Core Course Topics
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 will 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.