In this option, students explore models and ideas about sound in the contexts of music and hearing. Students examine how the wave model is applied in the design and development of musical instruments including the voice. They investigate the effects of sound and consider why certain chord progressions and cadences are more appealing to the human ear than others.
On completion of this unit the student should be able to apply a wave model to describe and analyse the production of sound in musical instruments, and explain why particular combinations of sounds are more pleasing to the human ear than others.
The 3-part video playlist below is by music teacher Scott Laird from the NC School of Science & Math. Although he approaches the intersection of music and science from a music perspective, his explanations help in developing an understanding of the science of sound production.