Tune Playing Blocks - Physics Demonstrations - Tune Playing Blocks | Physics Undergraduate Labs

Purpose

Demonstrates the relationship between bar length and resonant frequency ( $f \propto 1/L^2$ ) for solid bars. Wooden blocks of different lengths are knocked off a support to play "Home, Sweet Home," making the length-pitch dependence memorable.

Person arranging numbered wooden bars across three large wooden support blocks on a lecture table

Close-up of numbered wooden bars of varying lengths stacked and arranged by size, showing numbers 1 through 26

Figure 1: Tune-playing blocks arranged in numerical order across three support blocks, with alternating overhang direction so each can be knocked off independently.

Figure 2: The numbered bars sorted by length. Each bar's length is tuned to a specific pitch for the melody "Home, Sweet Home."