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Preparation time: 30 min
Teaching time: 90 min

Acoustic screens and room acoustics

During this unit, the students will learn about the acoustic requirements of rooms for listening and recording music. They will learn about noise disturbances and how to minimise them. They will learn what an anechoic chamber is. They will experiment to determine the best arrangement of equipment (furniture and loudspeakers) and will pay attention to the wall, ceiling and floor surfaces.

Format

  • Digital experiences
  • Field trip
  • Group work
  • Hands on activity

Age

  • 13-16

What

The possible connections with your curriculum

  • Biology
  • Natural science
  • Physical Sciences

Who

The people who take up the teacher role

  • Other school personnel
  • Teacher

Where

The locations where learning takes place

  • Classroom
  • Other spaces in school

With

The community stakeholders to collaborate with

  • Academy
  • Local businesses

Ready for action?

Resources

Web links

Tangible Resources

Results of research from Learning Unit 9, computers with access to the internet, audio equipment with loudspeakers, acoustic foam, wooden strips and tools for building the acoustic screen for the school recording studio.

Preparation

Prepare materials and equipment, including setting up audio equipment. Arrange a visit to the nearest recording studio or to a regional radio station to an interview with an acoustician. Arrange a trip to Krakow to the AGH University of Science and Technology to the Department of Mechanics and Vibro-acoustics to visit an anechoic chamber and talk to specialists. Prepare paperwork for off-site visits if necessary.

Goals, messages & concepts

Specific goals

  • Identify what phenomena interfere with sound in enclosed rooms.
  • Recognise the acoustic requirements of rooms used for listening and recording sounds.
  • Assess the acoustic conditions in a room and know how to improve them.
  • Know the challenges faced by a sound director, concert hall or recording studio designer.
  • Learn about professions related to sound engineering.

Specific messages

  • Reverberation is the distortion of sound from a loudspeaker by sound waves reflected from walls, floors and ceilings.
  • How to arrange loudspeakers and use room equipment (furniture, carpets, fitted carpets) to disperse sounds.

Main terms

  • sound interference
  • sound distortion
  • reverberation
  • sound dispersion

Practices & skills

STEM practices

  • Analysing and interpreting data
  • Constructing explanations and designing solutions
  • Using mathematics and computational thinking
  • Asking questions and defining problems
  • Planning and carrying out investigations

Soft skills

  • Teamwork and collaboration

Management skills

  • Planning
  • Use of resources

Course of activity

step 1

Students will participate in 2 field trips:

  • A visit to a recording studio or radio station to interview an acoustician and learn about being a sound engineer.
  • A trip to Krakow to the AGH University of Science and Technology to the Department of Mechanics and Vibro-acoustics to visit an anechoic chamber and talk to specialists and learn more about sound engineering.

step 2

Using the internet, students will research factors influencing the acoustic conditions of rooms (room size, ratio of wall to ceiling and floor dimensions, type of wall finishes, arrangement of loudspeakers and furniture).

step 3

Calculate the wavelengths of high-frequency sound waves (high-pitched sounds) and low-frequency waves (bass/low sounds), and compare them with the size of the room. Draw conclusions - which sounds are more difficult to diffuse?

step 4

Assess the acoustic conditions of a classroom, auditorium, gymnasium, school canteen or your own room at home.

step 5

Experiment with different equipment positioning and identify the optimal setup.

step 6

Construct an acoustic screen from prepared acoustic foam.