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The sound of the bell

What is so special about the sound of a bell ?

Level :

High School

Author:

FizziQ

The sounds of the bells are quite special because they are inharmonic. This differentiates them from other musical instruments. In this protocol, the student studies the difference between the frequency spectrum of the sound of an oboe and that of a bell. He notes that the frequencies of the sound of the bells are not harmonics, unlike the sound of the oboe. This protocol familiarizes the student with the notion of harmonics and frequency spectrum.

➡️ Find this activity in the Activities Catalogue of the FizziQ app
(Activities > ➕ > Activities catalog)

Learn more

1. We study the sound of a bell and find out why this musical instrument is special

2. In the Tools tab, open the sound library and choose the sound of a bell

3. Using the frequency spectrum, record in your notebook the frequencies that make up the sound of this bell.

4. Compare this spectrum to the spectrum of the sound of an oboe that you will find in the sound library.

5. A harmonic sound is a sound whose frequencies which compose it are whole multiples of each other.

6. Is the sound of an oboe harmonic? What is the lowest frequency? This is the fundamental frequency

7. Is the sound of the bell harmonic? Why ? How many frequencies can you detect?

8. Do you find any instruments in your home that produce harmonic sounds?

9. Can you find instruments that produce inharmonic sounds?

10. Summarize your study in the experiment notebook by adding text and photos and share it in PDF format

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