The sounds of music -- how they are created and the rules of physics they follow -- will be the subject of the March 31 CU Wizards show for children to be held at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Physicist Jim Faller will use a group of both homemade and real instruments to demonstrate various aspects of "The Physics of Music." The homemade instruments are constructed from a wide range of materials including bamboo, garden hose, plastic pipe, redwood, funnels and doorknobs.
The free Saturday show is designed for children in grades five through nine and begins at 9:30 a.m. in Duane Physics room G1B30 on the Boulder campus. Duane Physics is located on Colorado Avenue south of Folsom Stadium.
"I hope the kids will leave with the understanding that music and science are connected," Faller said. "Hopefully they'll rush home and make an instrument of their own."
Faller will describe music as "a sequence of sounds separated by silence." He also will demonstrate various ways in which musical sounds can be created and, in particular, why different instruments create the types of sounds they do. Finally, he will describe how sounds are transmitted so they can be heard.
In the past, Faller also has presented CU Wizard shows on the physics of sports.
Faller has taught physics at CU-Boulder since 1971 and is a fellow of JILA, a joint institute of CU-Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He also is a division chief at NIST.
Free parking for the show is available in lot 436 east of the Engineering Center, lot 169 off of Folsom Street, lot 936 off Stadium Drive and lot 308 south of Regent Drive and west of Fiske Planetarium. The Euclid Avenue Autopark east of the University Memorial Center also is open for a flat fee of $1.40.
Anyone with a disability or special need should notify the physics department at (303) 492-6952 a few days in advance of the show. For general information about the CU Wizards program and schedule, call (303) 492-4318 or visit the Web site at .
The next CU Wizards science show is April 28 at 9:30 a.m. in Chemistry 140. Professor Tarek Sammakia, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, will present "Fireflies, Diapers and Exploding Hydrogen Balloons: Chemistry in Action."