Coolmath: Damping Functions: 9-12 Algebra
Comments
- Aug 11 2010 7:11 PM
Ninfa Vega
This resource was matched by a member of the Brokers of Expertise Standards matching team.
Contributed By
- Original Source:Illuminations
Conditions of Use:None Specified
Description
This resource from Coolmath presents a series of pages that explain the relationship of algebraic functions to music. The first example is the use of 'damping functions' to produce a fade-out effect. The pages show the effects of multiplying a given function by a various functions, and then presents ways in which multiplying by a linear, logarithmic, or exponential function can 'damp' trigonometric functions, which are prevalent in music. Print-outs from a digital music editing software package are included. The interactivity is somewhat limited, but instructions are given for students to explore the effects of different damping functions using a graphing calculator. Also, they can listen to the effects of some predetermined damping functions. (Note that the audio samples require RealPlayer.) In a final section, students are asked to think about which instruments will produce the 'purest' sine curve, with somewhat surprising results. While this is neither completely a stand-alone activity nor a fully-developed lesson plan, it could be a very nice starting point, either for an individual investigation (in which more specific questions or instructions are given) or for a lesson on multiplying functions. Less
Learning Registry Activity
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Topics and Grades
Grade: 9 to 12
Topics: Algebra & Functions, Mathematics
Standards
Matched Standards
Resource Pedagogy
Resource Type/Classification:
- Teacher Materials
- Source Materials
Tool for: Parents, Administrators, Teachers
Tags/Keywords
Instructional Strategy
Grouping: Heterogeneous
Teaching Method: Problem-Solving