Change in Sound Waves: Oscilloscope Trace

An oscilloscope is a machine that can be used to visualize sound waves. When we increase the volume of a sound, the amplitude of the wave is increased. The frequency of a wave is related to its pitch. If the pitch is high, then the frequency of the wave is high. This means that the wave will looked squashed on an oscilloscope trace.

In this activity, students will create a chart that shows how an oscilloscope trace relates to what a sound wave sounds like. Students can modify the wave shape using the crop and resize functions. You can make this activity more difficult by quantifying the changes in the waves. For example if the wave is twice as loud, then the wave will be twice as high.

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that demonstrates how an oscilloscope trace relates to what the sound wave sounds like.

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. In the second row, use the crop and resize functions to draw a wave that has the same pitch as the first wave, but is louder.
3. In the third row, use the crop and resize functions to draw a wave that has the same volume as the first wave, but has a higher pitch.
4. In the fourth row, use the crop and resize functions to draw a wave that has the same volume as the first wave, but has a lower pitch.