Describes three physics demonstrations: "Sticky Kinematics," dealing with motion in friction; "The Whistler," presenting a whistle-like sound of descending pitch from an iron spring; and "Magnetic Superconducter Mystery," generating a question why a magnet keeps spinning. (YP)

Describes an experiment that uses the ultrasonic transducer for demonstrating the Fourier components of waveshapes such as the square and triangular waves produced by laboratory function generators. (JRH)

Describes a simple, direct method to demonstrate the effects of the boundary conditions on sound impulse reflections in pipes. A graphical display of the results can be made using a pipe, cork, small hammer, microphone, and fast recording electronics. Explains the principles involved. (LZ)

Provides the background theory and some experiments for studying static equilibrium using a Slinky. (MVL)

Explains how music is digitized and digitally recorded onto tape. Also discusses the compression of digital audio signals, digital compact cassette systems, and minidiscs. (MVL)

Describes a demonstration where two 0.5-kg masses and two 1.0-kg masses are hung on springs on a suspended meterstick. The masses can be made to resonate by putting one partner mass in motion. Relates the motion to the history of the telegraph. (MVL)

Vowels produced by four deaf women were analyzed spectrographically to study acoustic correlates of vocal tract deformation. Formant structure evaluated on isovowel lines disclosed consistent neutralization of vowels, which is attributed to observed restricted horizontal movements of the tongue within the oral and pharyngeal cavities. (Author/JDD)

Performance characteristics are reviewed for seven computerized systems marketed for acoustic speech analysis: CSpeech, CSRE, ILS-PC, Kay Elemetrics model 550 Sona-Graph, MacSpeech Lab II, MSL, and Signalyze. Characteristics reviewed include system components, basic capabilities, documentation, user interface, data formats and journaling, and…

The assumption that pragmatic probability facilitates the processing of lower linguistic levels is tested and disproved. Two experiments demonstrate that detection of acoustic properties that distinguish two speakers is harder in more pragmatically probable sentences and indicate that discourse- and sentence-level representations are functionally…

Provides low-cost tips for keeping gymnasiums aesthetically pleasing as well as revenue supporting for their multi-team functions. Use of banners, logos for chairs and end-wall padding, scorer tables with illuminated front panels for advertisements, and logo and advertising space built into speakers are discussed as are bleacher maintenance and…

Describes one Texas high school's efforts to obtain funding for a new music facility and the planning process behind its design. Acoustics and storage space considerations are discussed. (GR)

This study sought to find an efficient and optimal sound format for the development of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in the network environment and to provide some useful suggestions to the developers of CALL software who are interested in optimizing performance while maintaining an appropriate sound quality in the network…

Describes the assembly of a simple loudspeaker that can be used to generate high fidelity sound when plugged into a boom-box speaker output. (WRM)

This article discusses how poor room acoustics can make speech inaudible and presents a speech-perception model demonstrating the linkage between adequacy of classroom acoustics and the development of a speech and language systems. It argues both aspects must be considered when evaluating barriers to listening and learning in a classroom.…

Explores the acoustic nature of Singapore English. In directly comparable samples of British and Singapore English, two types of acoustic measurements were taken--calculation of a variability index reflecting changes in vowel length over utterances, and measurements reflecting vowel quality. Findings provide acoustic data that support the…