THE SCIENCE OF MUSIC (PC1327/GEK1519)

Mid-Term Class Test, Semester 2, 2007/08

1. Which of the following activities is the least appropriate example of science in music?
(a) A chemist experimenting with different types of varnish to find out which varnish results
in the best violin tone quality when applied to a violin body.
(b) A guitar technician measuring which material for guitar strings produces the loudest sound
for a given amount of energy applied to a guitar string.
(c) A trumpet player playing the C Major scale on her trumpet.
(d) A physicist measuring the velocity of a piano’s hammer as it rises to strike a piano string.
Answer: (c) The physicist, chemist and guitar technician are each discovering something new
about the universe, i.e. how the musical instrument they are studying behaves, and are all
thus examples of science in music. The trumpet player is performing an essentially musical
activity.
2. Which of the following activities is the most appropriate example of a technological activity?
(a) An engineer performing a piece of music on an electronic organ.
(b) A piano technician devising and constructing a new type of piano pedal action.
(c) A guitarist playing an electric guitar in a rock band.
(d) A song writer composing a new song for a choir.
Answer: (b) The engineer, guitarist and song writer are all essentially performing musical
activities. The piano technician is inventing a new device and is thus performing an essentially
technological activity.
3. Which of the following objects can be most appropriately described as undergoing a vibration?
(a) A tennis ball which is lying motionless on the ground.
(b) A bamboo pole swaying repeatedly from left to right during a thunderstorm.
(c) A man’s head nodding just once in response to a question.
(d) A child sliding just once down a slide in a playground.
Answer: (b) The tennis ball is not undergoing any motion at all, and thus cannot be un-
dergoing a vibration. The man’s head and the child are undergoing single and not repetitive
motions, so they cannot be said to be undergoing a vibration. The bamboo pole is undergoing
a repetitive swaying motion, so it can be described as undergoing a vibration.
4. Two coconut trees are swaying from side to side during a thunderstorm. The first tree makes
3 complete side by side movements or cycles in 7 seconds. The second tree makes 7 complete
side by side movements in the same length of time the first tree makes 5 complete side by side
movements. What is the frequency of vibration of the second tree, to the nearest tenth of a
Hz?
(a) 0.6 Hz.
(b) 81.6 Hz.
(c) 1.7 Hz.
(d) None of the above.

1
 Answer: (a) The first tree makes 3 complete side by side movements or cycles in 7 seconds, so
it will complete 5 cycles in 7 times 35 seconds i.e. 35
3
seconds. The second tree thus completes 7
cycles in 3 seconds, and its frequency is equal to 7 divided by 35
35
3
3
or 7 times 35 which is equal
3
to 5 i.e 0.6 Hz.
5. An aircraft designer designs a new type of fighter plane, and his design is given as a set of
engineering plans to the aircraft factory to contruct the plane. If we compare the fighter plane
to a pop song, which of the following has the same relationship to the pop song as the aircraft
designer has to the plane?
(a) The composer who writes the musical score of the pop song.
(b) The singer who sings the pop song.
(c) The CD recording of the pop song.
(d) The designer who creates the design of the cover of the CD recording of the pop song.
Answer: (a) The aircraft designer is the creator of the blueprint for the plane, i.e. the
engineering plans. The composer is the creator of the musical score for the pop song, which is
the song’s blueprint, and is thus analogous to the aircraft designer.
6. A flautist (flute player) is playing his flute by himself in an undergound pedestrian tunnel at
Orchard Road. Which of the following are you not likely to hear in his solo performance?
(Assume that the flautist can only produce a single pitch on his flute at any one time.)
(a) Pitch.
(b) Rhythm.
(c) Melody.
(d) Counterpoint.
Answer: (d) Since counterpoint requires two different melodies to be played at the same time,
it is not possible for the flute player to produce two pitches at the same time and so he cannot
play two melodies simultaneously, and thus cannot produce counterpoint. But he can certainly
produce pitch, rhythm and melody on his flute.
7. A fire engine approaches you from a distance, and when it is 100 metres away, you notice that
its siren registers a reading of 65 dB on a sound level meter which you are carrying. When the
fire engine is right in front of you, the sound level meter reading has increased to 95 dB. By
how much has the sound power reaching the meter increased when the fire engine is right in
front of you, compared to when the fire engine was 100 metres away from you? (Assume that
the sound level meter readings are due purely to the fire engine.)
(a) 10 times increase in sound power.
(b) 100 times increase in sound power.
(c) 1,000 times increase in sound power.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (c) Every time the sound level meter reading increases by 10 dB, it means that the
sound power has increased by 10 times. The sound level meter reading has increased from 65
dB to 95 dB, which is an increase of 30 dB or 10 dB plus 10 dB plus 10 dB. Therefore the
sound power has increased by 10 times 10 times 10 times i.e. 1,000 times.
8. Give the number of quavers which are equal in duration to the combination of a minim plus a
crotchet.
(a) 8 quavers.
(b) 6 quavers.
(c) 4 quavers.

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 (d) None of the above.
Answer: (b) A minim is equivalent to 2 crotchets or 4 quavers, while a crotchet is equivalent
to 2 quavers, so a minim plus a crotchet would be equivalent in duration to 4 plus 2 quavers
i.e. 6 quavers.
9. The musical score of a certain tune has a time signature of 4/4 (4 over 4). Which of the
following combinations of notes will fit exactly into one bar of the tune?
(a) 2 crotchets and 2 quavers.
(b) 1 minim, 1 crotchet and 2 quavers.
(c) 3 crotchets and 1 quaver.
(d) 2 minims and 2 quavers.
Answer: (b) The 4/4 time signature means that in each bar, there should be notes whose
combined duration equals the equivalent of 4 crotchets. 1 minim is equivalent to 2 crotchets,
and 2 quavers are equivalent to 1 crotchet, so the combination of a minim, a crotchet and 2
quavers would be equivalent to 4 crotchets.
10. If you start from Middle C on a standard piano keyboard, and move upwards in pitch until you
arrive at the next note which has the letter name of A, by what fraction of an octave would
you have gone upwards?
(a) One-quarter of an octave.
(b) One-third of an octave.
(c) Two-thirds of an octave.
(d) Three-quarters of an octave.
Answer: (d) From Middle C to the next note named A is an interval of 9 semitones. Since
an octave on the piano consists of 12 semitones in all, the interval from Middle C to the A is
three-quarters of an octave.
11. If you start on a standard piano keyboard from Middle C, move down by one and a half
octaves to arrive at a second note, and then move up by an interval of a fourth to arrive at
a third note, how many semitones below Middle C would this third note be? (Assume that
any interval named is an Equal-tempered interval which occurs on the Equal-tempered piano
keyboard between Middle C and another note of the C scale.)
(a) 23 semitones.
(b) 18 semitones.
(c) 13 semitones.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (c) One octave consists of 12 semitones, so going down by one and a half octaves is a
move downwards of 18 semitones. The interval of a fourth consists of 5 semitones, so the move
upwards of 5 semitones means that the third note is 18 minus 5 semitones i.e. 13 semitones
below Middle C.
12. As a woman is walking in a park, she hears a bird sing a note which has a frequency of 1,200
Hz. She then sings a note which is below the bird’s note by the interval of a Just sixth. What
is the frequency of the note which she sings?
(a) 1,200 Hz.
(b) 2,000 Hz.
(c) 480 Hz.
(d) None of the above.

3
 Answer: (d) The interval of a Just sixth has a ratio of 53 . The note which the woman sings
has a frequency given by 1,200 Hz divided by 53 which is the same as 1,200 Hz multiplied by 35
i.e. 720 Hz.
13. A piece of music for a solo bassoon is written on a single musical staff of five lines, with a bass
clef at the beginning of the staff. The first note of the bassoon piece is between the two highest
lines of the staff, and the second note is between the two lowest lines of the staff. What are
the letter names of the first and second notes in the right order?
(a) A and G.
(b) G and C.
(c) G and A.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (c) The five lines of the staff with a bass clef are (from the lowest) G, B, D, F and
A. The first note is thus between F and A i.e. G, and the second note is between G and B i.e.
A.
14. You start from a first musical note and go up by an interval with a ratio of 74 to arrive at a
second note. You then start from the same first note again, and go up again but this time by
an interval with a ratio of 11
5
to reach a third note. What is the ratio of the interval from the
second note to the third note?
77
(a) 20
.
35
(b) 44
.
44
(c) 35
.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (c) The ratio 47 is equal to 1.75, and the ratio 11 5
is equal to 2.2. The third note is
thus higher in frequency than the second note. If the interval between the second and third
notes is equal to n, we have 47 times n equal to 11
5
. The ratio n is thus equal to 11
5
divided by
7 11 4 44
4
which is the same as 5 multiplied by 7 which is equal to 35 .
15. If you start from Middle C and go up by a Just seventh, then go up by an octave, and then
finally go down by a Just fifth to arrive at a final note, what is the ratio of the interval between
Middle C and the final note?
(a) 25 .
(b) 52 .
45
(c) 8
.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (b) If we go up by a Just seventh, this means multiplying by a ratio of 15 8
. Going up
by an octave means multiplying by 2. Finally going down by a Just fifth means dividing by a
ratio of 32 , or multiplying by a ratio of 23 . The ratio of the interval from Middle C to the final
note is thus given by 15 8
times 2 times 32 , giving an overall ratio of 60
24
, which can be simplified
5
to 2 .
16. You start from a first note and go up by an interval with a ratio of 76 to reach a second note.
From this second note, you go up by the interval of a Pythagorean sixth to reach a third note.
What is the ratio of the interval from the first note to the third note?
35
(a) 18
.
112
(b) 162
.
63
(c) 32
.

4
 (d) None of the above.
27
Answer: (c) The interval of a Pythagorean sixth has a ratio of 16 . The ratio of the interval
from the first note to the third note is thus given by 6 multiplied by 27
7
16
, which is equal to 189
96
,
63
which can be simplified to 32 .
17. A string which is 210 cm long vibrates with a fundamental frequency of 300 Hz. You place
your finger on the string 35 cm from one end and its frequency immediately changes. What is
the new frequency of the string as it vibrates with your finger on it?
(a) 300 Hz.
(b) 1,500 Hz.
(c) 2,100 Hz.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (d) 35 cm is one-sixth of 210 cm, so the string will vibrate at its 6th harmonic when
your finger is placed on it. The string will thus vibrate at a frequency equal to 300 Hz times
6 i.e. 1,800 Hz.
18. You place your finger on a vibrating string such that it has 5 antinodes between its two fixed
ends. Its frequency as it vibrates with your finger placed on it is 4,200 Hz. What is the
fundamental frequency of the string?
(a) 1,050 Hz.
(b) 840 Hz.
(c) 700 Hz.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (b) If the string has 5 antinodes between its two fixed ends, it must be vibrating at
its 5th harmonic. Its fundamental frequency should thus be equal to 4,200 Hz divided by 5 i.e.
840 Hz.
19. If a string of 80 cm length vibrates with a frequency of 600 Hz while a finger is placed at
a distance of 20 cm from one of its ends, what is the length of a second string which has a
fundamental frequency of 300 Hz? (Assume that the two strings are identical in all respects
except length.)
(a) 40 cm.
(b) 80 cm.
(c) 160 cm.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (a) If the finger is placed 20 cm from one end of the string, the string must be
vibrating at its 4th harmonic as 20 cm is one-quarter of 80 cm. The string’s fundamental
frequency is thus equal to 600 Hz divided by 4 i.e. 150 Hz. The length of the second string is
150
therefore equal to 80 cm multiplied by 300 i.e. 40 cm.
20. A string has a fundamental frequency of 500 Hz. Its frequency as it vibrates with 6 antinodes
between its two fixed ends is the same as the frequency of an open pipe which is vibrating with
5 nodes between its two open ends. What is the frequency of the 3rd harmonic of the open
pipe?
(a) 600 Hz
(b) 1,500 Hz.
(c) 3,600 Hz.
(d) None of the above.

5
 Answer: (d) When the string has 6 antinodes between its ends, it is vibrating at its 6th
harmonic whose frequency is equal to 500 Hz times 6 i.e. 3,000 Hz. The open pipe is vibrating
at this frequency, and as it has 5 nodes between its ends, it is at its 5th harmonic, and its
fundamental frequency is equal to 3,000 Hz divided by 5 i.e. 600 Hz. Its 3rd harmonic frequency
is therefore equal to 600 Hz times 3 i.e. 1,800 Hz.
21. An open pipe of length p cm has a 6th harmonic frequency of 2,400 Hz. What is the 5th
harmonic frequency of a closed pipe of length 2p cm?
(a) 100 Hz.
(b) 500 Hz.
(c) 3,200 Hz.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (b) The open pipe has a fundamental frequency equal to 2,400 Hz divided by 6 i.e.
400 Hz. A closed pipe of the same length would have a fundamental frequency half that of the
open pipe or 400 Hz divided by 2 i.e. 200 Hz. A closed pipe of length 2p cm which is double
this length would have a fundamental frequency half that of the closed pipe of length p cm, or
200 Hz divided by 2 i.e. 100 Hz. The 5th harmonic frequency of the closed pipe of length 2p
cm is thus equal to 100 Hz times 5 i.e. 500 Hz.
22. Three of the members of the string family, named in increasing order of length, are the viola,
’cello, and the double bass. The pitch range of each instrument refers to the range of frequencies
and hence of pitches which it can play. Name these three string instruments in the correct
order of pitch range, starting with the one having the lowest pitch range and ending with the
one with the highest pitch range i.e. by increasing pitch range. (In this context, “highest” and
“lowest” refers to the pitch, and not to the width of the range.)
(a) Double bass, viola, ’cello.
(b) Double bass, ’cello, viola.
(c) Viola, ’cello, double bass.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (b) As the frequency of a sound wave is inversely proportional to its wavelength,
longer instruments are able to accommodate longer wavelengths and will therefore have lower
pitch ranges than shorter instruments. The viola being the shortest of the three thus has the
highest pitch range, and the double bass being the longest of the three has the lowest pitch
range, with the ’cello having the intermediate pitch range.
23. When one sees a flash of lightning at a distance, the sound of the thunder which is caused
by the lightning, and which originates from the same location as the lightning, will be heard
after a certain time delay. This is because sound waves travel much more slowly than light
waves. If we assume that sound waves travel at a speed of 340 metres per second, and that
light waves reach our eyes instantaneously, how far away is the lightning if the sound of the
thunder caused by the lightning takes 4.5 seconds to reach our ears?
(a) 75.55 metres.
(b) 1,360 metres.
(c) 1,700 metres.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (d) If sound travels at a speed of 340 metres per second, in 4.5 seconds the sound
wave would have travelled 340 metres times 4.5 i.e. 1,530 metres.

6
24. You are a member of the crew of a sailing yacht which is travelling along the sea in the same
direction and with the same speed as the waves on the surface of the sea. You notice that
the total length of the yacht is equal to 12 complete wavelengths of the sea waves, and from
watching a piece of driftwood bobbing up and down on the surface of the waves, you notice
that the waves have a frequency of 1.2 Hz. If the yacht has a speed of 1.5 metres per second,
what is its length?
(a) 9.6 metres.
(b) 15 metres.
(c) 21.6 metres.
(d) None of the above.
Answer: (b) The wavelength of the sea waves must be equal to their speed divided by their
frequency, and is thus equal to 1.5 metres per second divided by 1.2 Hz i.e. 1.25 metres. The
yacht’s total length is equal to 12 wavelengths, which is equal to 1.25 metres times 12 i.e. 15
metres.
25. An oboist is tuning her oboe using a tone generator which is set to produce a musical tone
with a frequency of 440 Hz. When she plays the note A above Middle C on her oboe, she
hears beats of 5 Hz between her oboe’s note and the tone generator’s note. What are the two
possible values of the frequency of her oboe note?
(a) 435 Hz and 440 Hz.
(b) 435 Hz and 445 Hz.
(c) 440 Hz and 445 Hz.
(d) 435 Hz and 450 Hz.
Answer: (b) As the beat frequency between her oboe’s note and the tone generator’s note
was 5 Hz, the frequency of the oboe’s note could have been either 440 Hz minus 5 i.e. 435 Hz,
or 440 Hz plus 5 i.e. 445 Hz.

END OF TEST PAPER