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Xylophones-Lab Report

Erika, Giovanni, Pinia

We will investigate how different materials affect the sound and pitch created by a xylophone made out of stainless steel.

Objective

We think that a plastic mallet will create a louder sound when hit against the xylophone.

Hypothesis

Independent: Material of mallet

Dependent: Loudness Control:Stainless steel material to make the xylophone and diameter of stainless steel pipes

Variables

Stainless steel pipes Wooden chopsticks Plastic chopsticks Metal spoon String Scissors

Materials

Buy a 5/8" inside diameter and 11/16" outside diameter stainless steel tubing that’s already cut to the appropriate length and pitch.

G - (Lowest pitch) = 258 mm A - 245 mm B - 230.5 mm C - 223 mm D - 210.5 mm E - 199 mm F#- 186.5 mm G - (Highest pitch) = 181.5 mm

Method-Preparation

1. Arrange the stainless steel tubing from the shortest to the longest or longest to shortest.

2. Prepare the string by attaching it to a pen or something that could fit inside the pipe with a tape.

3. Start by inserting the pen with the string in the left side of the first tube and take it out from the right side.

4. Insert the pen from the right side of the next tube and take it out from the left side.

5. Repeat two last steps until you reached the last pipe.6. Now take the pen with the string around the bottom of

the last pipe and insert it through the right side of the last pipe.

7. Repeat steps 3&4 again but this time from the bottom to the top.

8. Lastly, tie the remaining of the string the way you like it so that it can be hung.

9. Cut the excess string if necessary.

Method

No Plastic Wood Metal1 2 3 12 2 3 13 2 3 14 2 3 15 2 3 16 2 3 17 2 3 18 2 3 19 2 3 110 2 3 111 2 3 112 2 3 113 2 3 114 1 3 215 2 3 116 2 3 117 2 3 118 1 3 219 2 3 120 2 3 1

Results

Since we are testing the mallets, we surveyed 20 people about which mallet they think produced the loudest sound when hit against the xylophone.

Range: 1-loudest, 3-softest

Results

Survey Result

Wood

Metal

Plastic

Results on how many people gave each material a ‘1’ (loudest).

Use harder and heavier mallet to produce more volume Mallets with heavier heads produce louder sounds. Harder heads

produce sharper and louder sounds. Harder mallets will have more of a contact sound(the sound of the

mallet striking the bar) Some cores(center of the mallet head) are made from rubber, plastic

or wood. Harder mallet cores will help to create a harder mallet A mallet may be wrapped with yarn, cord or unwrapped. Unwrapped

mallets are usually common for xylophone mallets Cord mallets tend to produce more of a contact sound than yarn

mallets do, and the tighter a mallet is wrapped, the harder it will be. But for xylophone, it is better to have unwrapped mallets. Avoid using mallets that are too hard such as acrylic bell mallets

People usually use wooden, plastic or rubber mallets to strike the bar.

Xylophone players typically use rubber mallets made either of medium, hard, or extra hard rubber

Discussion-Explanation

When making the hypothesis, we thought the plastic mallet will create a louder sound than a wooden or metal mallet. This was proven wrong when we did the survey and then the research. Xylophone players usually use medium, hard, or extra hard rubber and it shows that they need a very strong rubber to pass as a good mallet for the xylophone, which means other materials might be better for this. Harder and heavier mallet produces more volume. Metals are harder and heavier than plastic, therefore metals must create louder sounds than plastic.

Discussion-Hypothesis

The data we collected were quite reliable, because even though one person’s opinion can be subjective when alone, it could turn objective if we surveyed enough people and combined their results to get one general conclusion. The product itself has a consistent diameter as well, so we can rely on that.

Discussion-Evaluate reliability of data

We think the method from http://dennishavlena.com/xylophon.htm is quite good because the method clearly stated the length and width for each pipe, but then it didn’t really state the material. It did state that we needed an electrical conduit, but that only meant something that could conduct electricity, and that wasn’t specific. It’s good that the final xylophone still have the sound of one octave.

Evaluating the Method

Next time, we could try different types of xylophones as well as more type of materials for mallets. If we do that, we will get more results and have more materials to compare to get a more accurate result.

Extension-Suggestions for further inquiry

Based on the survey we conducted and also the research, the metal makes/will make a louder voice than the wood and plastic. This statement is proven by the survey. From 20 people, 18 says that the metal produces a louder sound (the loudness of the sound produced by the metal and the plastic were almost similar). 90% of the people said that the metal’s sound is louder. According to the research, it is because the metal is heavier than the rest of the materials. The metal is also hard and rigid so it produces a louder sound.

Conclusion

"Mallet Selection." Welcome to Malletjazz.com. Web. 25 May 2011. <http://www.malletjazz.com/lessons/mallets.html>.

 "VERY SIMPLE "XYLOPHONE"" WEBPAGE of DENNIS HAVLENA - W8MI Mackinac Straits, MI. Web. 15 May 2011. <http://dennishavlena.com/xylophon.htm>.

MLA