Music of Physics

Purpose and Audience

This textbook is written for a very specific purpose and audience: It serves as a breadth requirement for a general education program at the college level for non-science majors. It is also suitable for an introductory course at the high school level. Music is an excellent medium to introduce physics to novice scientists, as it provides an intuitive understanding of the physics of waves.

Content and Approach

While there are no mathematical derivations in the text, labs are provided to verify every concept and equation. The book is not restricted to purely musical topics. Each topic is carefully chosen to relate to broader principles applicable to other areas of physics or technology.

Goals and Relevance

This is not meant to be a highly technical treatise on sound and musical instruments. Rather, it shows deep connections between waves and many areas of modern physics to make the text engaging and relevant to the students.