The Physics of the
Pump Organ
By Kristina
Knupp
Overview
The reed organ, in various
forms, has existed for hundreds of years.
In China, the reed
organ was in the form of a mouth
instrument. The next advancement in the
reed organ occured early in the nineteenth
century, when pressure harmoniums were
constructed in England and France. The
reeds of these instruments sounded when air
was blown over them. The first full reed
organ that operated on the vacuum
principle, however, is thought to be
created by Alexandres of Paris around 1835.
These instruments sounded when air was
pulled across the reeds and a vacuum was
formed. Vacuum operated organs were the
principle type of organ constructed in the
United States.
The reed organ used
explicitly for this research was
constructed by W.W. Putnam and Company of
Staunton, Virginia in 1901. This project
examines the physics of the pump organ by
looking at several different aspects of the
instrument. First, the mechanics of various
actions of the organ were analyzed. These
actions include the reeds, bellows, keys and stops. Secondly, the
frequency of each note was
discovered using an oscilloscope and
wave analyzer. Finally, the effect of
each stop on a particular set of notes
was studied.
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The Reeds
The reed organ, commonly
known as the pump organ, is a reed
instrument. "The reed instrument consists
of an air-actuated vibrating reed which
interrupts the acting air stream at the
vibration frequency of the reed." (Olson
138). In the case of the reed organ, the
reed is made of brass and is clamped at one
end, like a cantilever bar. It is a free
reed which does not strike a surface;
instead, it is coupled directly with the
air (Rossing "The Science" 240).
A reed is divided into
several sections. The front rounded portion
is termed the toe, while the end of the
reed attached to the frame is termed the
heel, and the vibrating part is called the
tongue. The reed is inserted into a reed
cell which is a small opening in a block of
wood which in turn is mounted on the reed
pan. The reed pan, also called the reed
chest or sound board, is the foundation for
the reed cells. This structure is a shallow
box which resembles an inverted pan.
The reed cells that support
a certain group of reeds are sealed off
with triangular pieces -- termed mutes.
When a given stop is pushed in, the mute is
shut, and the reed associated with that
note does not play. Reeds are divided into
two ranges, high notes or the treble clef
and low notes or the bass clef. One mute
will control all of the reeds in a specific
register.
The openings under the reed
pan are covered with a piece of wood termed
the pallet or reed valve. The pallets,
which cover two reed openings, are felt and
leather covered. A spring action pushes the
leather to seal the opening and prevent air
from entering the reed cell. In order to
raise the pitch of a particular note, the
flat surface or tongue is filled in with
brass near the toe or vibrating end. On the
other hand, the pitch is lowered by filling
in the tongue of the reed with brass near
the heel or clamp end (Getz 154). On the
contrary, the same effect can be reached if
the vibrating end is filed, effectively
raising the pitch, or the clamp end is
filed, thus lowering the pitch. In this
manner the reed organ can be tuned.
A stream of air, sent from
the bellows, causes the reed to vibrate,
thereby initiating a sound. The fundamental
frequency of the free reed is controlled by
two factors. First, the blowing pressure,
or excess pressure in the wind box, and
secondly, the elastic properties of the
reed both affect the frequency with which
the reed resonates. "In general, the
vibratory motion of a reed is complex,
except at very small amplitudes for which
it is nearly sinusoidal" (Roederer 116).
The frequency with which the forces acting
on the reed occurs is very low, therefore
the motion of the reed corresponds to the
motion of the air, while the magnitude of
the reed motion is primarily determined by
the reed's springiness (Benade 38).
The reed dimensions can
actually be calculated to give the resonant
frequency of the reed. The brass reed,
unlike the piano string, is not under
tension. Therefore, the restoring force is
due entirely to the springiness of the
reed. "The fundamental frequency is given
by f = (0.5596/l^2) (QK2/r)^½ where l is
the length of the bar in centimeters, is
the density in grams per cubic centimeter,
Q is Young's modulus in dynes per square
centimeter, (and) K is the radius of
gyration. For a rectangular cross section,
the radius of gyration is K = a/12 where a
is the thickness of the bar in centimeters,
in the direction of vibration" (Olson
76).
A bar clamped at one end,
like the reed, involves various modes of
vibration. For each mode, a different tone
results and there are a unique number of
nodes that occur along the reed. The
frequency, as a multiple of the fundamental
frequency, f1, also increases with an
increase in the number of nodes (Olson
76).
"The player (by pumping the
bellows) supplies a steady flow of air to
his instrument, which is converted into a
regular sequence of puffs by the back and
forth motion of the reed" (Rossing "Musical
Acoustics" 99). In contrast to a piano,
whose note dissipates when the struck
string stops vibrating, the pump organ is a
self sustaining oscillator. This means that
sound will occur as long as air is supplied
and allowed to flow through the reed. The
reed of the Pump organ works on a vacuum.
The air is drawn "from the outside, through
the reed and into the main bellow" (Presley
297). The reed undergoes a specific type of
action. First, air is forced through the
reed while it is in its normal position.
After the air initially rushes through, the
opening through which the air has moved is
suddenly reduced because the pressure on
the flow side is reduced, according to
Bernoulli's theorem (Berg 257). The
Bernoulli effect occurs when "the pressure
in a fluid is decreased when - the flow
velocity is increased" (Fletcher 235). When
the opening is thus reduced, the airflow is
also reduced. Therefore, the pressure on
the flow side of the reed is increased, and
the reed resumes its original position.
With the energy the reed gained from its
movement, it exceeds its original position.
This larger opening that is created reduces
the pressure on the flow side of the reed
as the air rushes through, and the reed
resumes its normal position (Olson
139).
|
The Bellows
The bellows, operated by a
hand lever or by two foot pedals, supply
the vacuum which draws the air over the
reeds. The sides of the bellows are fluted
and collapsible. When the bellows are
expanded, the vacuum occurs and the bellows
are filled with air. Contrarily, when the
bellows are collapsed, excess air is
discharged from the system.
"The bellows consists of
two main parts: the main vacuum reservoir
and the exhauster bellows that are
activated by the foot pedals. As the foot
pedal is depressed, the exhauster is drawn
out, causing the exhauster valve to close
and the inside valve to open. This action
allows air to be drawn out of the
reservoir" (Presley 51). Then the foot
pedal resumes its original position, a
spring pushes the exhauster to the
reservoir. The valve on the reservoir
closes so the vacuum is maintained, and the
valve on the exhauster opens "allowing the
air it has drawn out of the main reservoir
to escape" (Presley 51).
The exhauster is attached
directly to the foot pedals. The exhauster
pulls air from the main bellows, creating a
partial vacuum. Each bellow has a one-way
intake valve. This device allows air to
enter but prevents air from escaping. A
similar valve is located in the wind chest,
which is positioned between the bellows and
the action (Anderson 99).
A safety valve is also used
on the bellows. When the fluid sides reach
a certain height, a string is pulled which
opens the valve. In sane cases, the valve
is more primitive. A hole is cut directly
in the bellows chest and is covered by a
block of wood suspended by a leather hinge.
In this case, when the bellows reach their
maximum capacity, air is forced through
this hole and the wooden block is lifted.
Therefore, extra air can escape and the
bellows will not burst because of excessive
air pressure.
In order for a quality note
to be issued by the reeds, it is highly
important that the pressure of the air from
the bellows remains relatively constant. In
order for this to occur, the folds in the
bellows work in opposite directions.
Therefore, if the bellows are nearly empty
or almost full, the pressure is basically
equal. "If the folds were both inside or
both outside folds, the pressure would be
constantly varying" (Wicks 105).
The wind pressure of the
bellows can be determined through the the
implementation of a mercury manometer, a
U-shaped glass tube half filled with
mercury. One end of the tube is connected
to the wind chest or bellows. When air
enters or leaves the tube from the bellows,
the mercury in the two prongs of the
manometer equilibrates at different
heights. This difference represents the
amount of pressure in the wind chest.
The wind pressure can be
determined by the equation P = Pa + rgh. Pa
represents the pressure of the atmosphere,
r equals the density of the mercury, g
equals the force of gravity and h is the
height the mercury gained or lost. If h is
positive, the pressure of the system is
greater than atmospheric pressure. If h is
negative, the pressure of the system is
less than atmospheric pressure, and a
partial vacuum is created (Serway 399).
Different wind pressures
are characteristic of organs with specific
uses. A typical parlor organ may have a
pressure between 40 and 130 nm, while a
theater organ which requires more volume
ranges from 300 to 450 nm (Anderson
100).
|
The Keys
"The key is the end of a
lever system, actuated by the fingers, in
conjunction with a valve for controlling
the air flow which actuates a reed" (Olson
196). The keyslip is the panel directly
under the keyboard which covers the reed.
Guide pins are implemented into the manual
action of the key. Two guide pins are used
for each key. One extends through the rear
end of the key and allows the key to pivot
up and down. The pin at the front of the
key fits into a felt-lined cavity. This
prevents a side-to-side motion at the front
of the key.
A pitman is a devise that
connects the organ key and the pallet. A
depressed key pushes this rod down which
opens the pallet and permits air to be
drawn through the reed. A pitman is also
employed when an octave coupler is used. In
this case, another rod, the coupler collar,
is glued to the dowel about one-third of
the way from the top. This device allows
the musician to depress one key but sound
two notes of the same octave. The keys are
prevented from rebounding by the use of a
thumper. A heavy piece of wood, lined with
felt, rests on the keys in a vertical
groove in the keys. When a key is firmly or
repetitiously pressed, the key will not
continue to oscillate after the initial
movement is discontinued.
|
The Stops
The stop is a mechanical
device that serves to open mutes that allow
air to flow through the reeds. A stop can
also combine various ranks of reeds or can
alter the amount of air that flows out of
the reeds. Two types of stops, speaking and
mechanical, exist in the pump organ.
Speaking stops control the amount of air
that reaches the reeds, and mechanical
stops act as secondary controls for such
apparatus as the vox humana and the octave
coupler (Presley 45).
The stops control the mutes
to different degrees. If a mute is opened
only slightly, the sound will be soft. If
the reed is opened fully, the resulting
tone will be louder. The stop action also
controls the swell. The swell is "a hinged
flat panel that covers the entire front or
back set of reeds" (Presley 29). When the
swell stop is fully extended, this hinged
flap is opened and the sound is louder. In
essence, the swell stop is a form of volume
control.
The mechanics of the stop
action are quite complex. The stop knob, on
the outside of the case, is attached to a
rod that extends to the inside. The rod is
attached to another dowel at a right angle
with a pin. The other end of the dowel
supports a trundle or upright roller.
Another wooden piece
extends from the adjacent side of the
trundle. A second pin connects this piece
to another dowel which leads to a lever
which pulls the mutes open and closed. When
the stop is fully extended, the dowel moves
backward, rotating the trundle and finally
pulling the lever backward.
|
Sound Waves
Sound is produced by
alternating pressures, displacing a
particle or oscillating a particle in a
particular medium with a certain frequency.
In the pump organ, sound is produced when
the medium is set into motion. The sound is
generated when the vibrating reed converts
an otherwise steady stream of air into a
pulsating one.
Sound waves exhibit such
characteristics as constant velocity,
frequency, and wavelength. First, waves are
propagated with a velocity of c = (gPo/r)^½
(Equation 1) where g is the ratio of
specific heat for air, Po is the static
pressure of the air, and r is the density
of the air. Specific heat is the amount of
heat (measured in calories) required to
raise the temperature of one gram of a
substance one degree centigrade. When an
increase in pressure occurs, there is a
proportional increase in density.
Therefore, if the temperature remains
constant so the density is steady, the
velocity must remain constant. Finally, the
speed of sound in air as a function of
temperature is c = 33,100 (1 0.00366t)^½
(Equation 2) where t is measured in
centigrade.
Secondly, sound waves cause
a change in pressure from the static
pressure or the atmospheric pressure when
there is no sound. The instantaneous sound
pressure, which occurs when sound is heard,
is the difference between the static
pressure and the total instantaneous
pressure.
Thirdly, there is a direct
correlation between the frequency and
wavelength of sound waves. The frequency,
measured in Hertz, is the number of waves,
or cycles, which pass an observation point
per second. The wavelength is the distance
a wave travels in one cycle and can be
calculated from the frequency measurement.
If c is the velocity of propagation, l is
the wave lenth, and f is the frequency,
then the three variables are related by c
=lf (Equation 3). When the sound waves
occur, energy is transmitted. This
transmission of energy per unit area per
unit time is called intensity. The
intensity, I, is given by I = p^2/2rc
(Equation 4) where p is the bellows
pressure, r is the density of the air and c
is the velocity of the sound wave. The
intensity is also equal to the square of
the amplitude.
"Pitch is primarily
dependent upon the frequency, of the sound
stimulus" (Olson 25). The difference in
pitch for similar notes is called an
octave. The ratio of basic frequencies of
these particular notes is equal to two. On
the equally tempered scale in the key of C,
the frequencies cover a range of 16 to
16,000 Hertz.
In musical terms, two
different scales exist to which instruments
are tuned. These two scales are the just
intonation scale and the scale of
temperment. "A scale of just intonation is
a musical scale employing the frequencies
intervals represented by the ratios of the
smaller integers of the harmonic series"
(Olson 39). For example, the ratio of an
ocatave is 2:1 while the ratio of a
semitone is 16:15, the ratio of a major
tone is 9:8 and the ratio of a minor tone
is 10:9.
"Temperment is the process
of reducing the number of tones per octave
by alternating the frequency of the tones
from the exact frequencies of just
intonation. In the equally tempered scale,
the octave is divided into 12 intervals in
which the frequency ratios are as follows:
1, f, f^2, f^3, f^4, f^5, f^6, f^7, f^8,
f^9, f^10, f^11, f^12 where f^12 = 2 or f =
2^1/12 (Olson 47). The Putnam organ, along
with the piano, is tuned to the scale of
equal temperment. This scale is used where
the scale of just intonation would be
impossible to use. In the reed organ, the
tuning is fairly permanent and fixed. The
tone of the reeds are not readily or easily
changed. Therefore, "the just scale would
not be practical because the number of
fixed resonating systems would be too
great" (Olson 54).
The reed organ produces
both fundamental and over tone frequencies.
"The fundamental frequency is the lowest
frequency conponent in a complex sound
wave" (Olson 202). The frequency ranges of
the overtones exceed the fundamental
frequency by one to two octaves.
Both overtones and the
fundamental frequencies combine in the
correctional phase and with corresponding
amplitudes to produce a complex wave. For
example, the frequency of the second
harmonic is two times that of the
fundamental frequency. Therefore, the
amplitude of the second harmonic will equal
half of the ampliltude of the fundamental.
Likewise, the frequency of the third
harmonic is three times the fundamental and
the amplitude is equal to one third the
amplitude of the fundamental.
Mathematically, the complex
wave is explained by Pr = P1 + P2 + P3,
where P represents the frequencies of each
harmonic. Each different harmonic can be
described by Pr = 1/n sin(nwt), where n = 1
represents the fundamental frequency, n = 2
stands for the second harmonic and so
forth; w equals 2pf, f represents the
frequency and t stands for the time.
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The
Experiment
The experimental
frequencies were discovered by using
several different instruments. Each tone of
the organ was recorded with a tape recorder
when all of the sounding stops were opened.
These tones were then fed into an amplifier
set on the band pass mode. This mode
blocked out all over-ones and left the
fundamental frequency. The amplifier was
then connected to a speaker and an
oscilloscope.
An oscilloscope displays a
time varying voltage in visible form on a
screen. The cathode-ray tube, the main
component of the oscilloscope, emits a
continuous beam of electrons. "The electron
stream is fired at a screen which has been
treated with a special material that
phosphoresces and gives off light when
struck by the electrons" (Plintik 46). A
waveform is produced on a screen when a
fluctuating voltage, from the organ tone,
moves up and down and is swept
horizontally. The horizontal axis stands
for time, while the vertical axis
represents the amplitude.
In order to determine the
frequency of each note on the organ, a
function generator was also connected to
the oscilloscope. The function generator
allowed one to vary the frequency of the
vertical axis. Since the frequency of the
function generator matched the frequency of
the organ, a circular Lissajou figure
resulted on the oscilloscope screen.
The different stops on the
organ cause specific portions of the
keyboard to be muted. In order to discover
how the volume changed with the opening and
closing of different stops, four notes each
in the treble and bass clefs were played
with different stops opened. The amplitude
resulting on the oscilloscope is directly
related to the volume emitted by the organ.
The intensity of the sound is the square of
the amplitude. These intensities can then
be converted into decibels using the
formula b = 10 [log (I/Io)] where b is the
sound intensity level in dB, I is the sound
intensity, and Io is the threshold of
hearing intensity of 10^-12 W/m^2.
In this particular
experiment the amplitude was gained by
reading the amplitude of the wave off of
the oscilloscope screen. In this case, a
recorder, in which the internal amplifier
could be turned off, was used to tape the
tones produced by the organ. As each stop
was pulled and the same four notes were
played, the rate at which the bellows were
pumped was kept relatively constant. The
taped tones were fed into the oscilloscope
and the wave amplitudes were read.
Therefore, the amplitude readings are
relevant to each other.
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|
Table
2: Amplitude of Specific
Notes Using Individual Stops of the Treble
Clef
|
|
Note
|
Middle C
|
E
|
G
|
C
|
|
Stop #1 - Celeste
Amplitude
|
8.0
|
3.0
|
1.5
|
7.0
|
|
Stop #2 - Melodia
Amplitude
|
10.0
|
3.0
|
1.0
|
6.0
|
|
Stop #3 - Aoline
Amplitude
|
9.0
|
3.0
|
2.0
|
3.0
|
|
Stop #4 - Forte
Amplitude
|
2.5
|
1.5
|
3.0
|
6.0
|
|
Table 3:
Amplitude of Specific Notes Using
Individual Stops of the Bass
Clef
|
|
Note
|
E
|
G
|
C
|
G
|
|
Stop #1 - Dolce
Amplitude
|
1.0
|
4.0
|
3.0
|
1.5
|
|
Stop #2 - Diapson
Amplitude
|
1.0
|
7.0
|
6.0
|
2.0
|
|
Stop #3 - Viola
Amplitude
|
4.5
|
5.5
|
5.0
|
2.0
|
|
Stop #4 - Dulciana
Amplitude
|
4.0
|
5.0
|
4.5
|
3.0
|
|
According to Table 2, the
amplitude, and thus the volume, changes for
each individual note for the separate
stops. Middle C changes from an amplitude
of 8.0 to 10.0 to 9.0 to 2.5. The note E
stays constant at 3.0 for three of the
stops and drops to 1.5 for Stop #4, or
Forte. The G ranges from 1.0 to 3.0 while C
remains constant for two stops, then
increases by 1.0 or decreases by 3.0.
Overall, the volume of the organ as a
result of opening the stops increases in
the following order: Forte, Aoline,
Celeste, and Melodia.
According to Table 3, E
remains at 1.0 for two stops and jumps to
4.0 and 4.5 for the remaining two stops. G
ranges from 4.0 to 7.0. C, which is one
octave below middle C, differs by
approximately one integer from 3.0 to 6.0,
while G ranges from 1.5 to 3.0, with two
identical readings. Overall, the volume of
the bass clef as a result of openinq the
stops increases in the following order:
Dolce, Diapson, Dulciana and Viola.
Calculation of the air pressure in the
bellows when the manometer reading is 0.2
cm.
P = Pa + ggh
P = (1.01 x 10^5 Pa) +(13.6 x 10^3
kg/m^3)(9.80 m/s^2)(.002m)
P = 1.01 x 10^5 Pa
The difference in pressure
from atmospheric pressure and the pressure
in the bellows is
DP = (1.01 x 10^5 Pa) -
(1360.802 Pa)
DP = 9.99 x 10^4 Pa
Therefore, the pressure in the bellows is
greatly below atmospheric pressure. The
speed of sound in air can be calculated
using Equation 2
c = 33,100 ( 1 + 0.00366t)^½
If room temperature is 22.2 degrees
centigrade, then
c = 3.31 x 10^4 cm/s
According to Equation 3,
the wavelength of each note can be
determined. l = c/f where c is the velocity
and f is the frequency. Therefore, the
wavelength of each C on the keyboard is: l
= (3.31 x 10^4 cm/s)(65.2 Hz) l = 508
cm
l = (3.31 x 10^4 cm/s)(130.8 Hz) l =
253 cm
l = (3.31 x 10^4 cm/s)(261.2 Hz) l = 127
cm
l = (3.31 x 10^4 cm/s)(522.4 Hz)
l = 63.4 cm
l = (3.31 x 10^4 cm/s) (1047.8 Hz)
l = 31.6 cm
|
|
Table
1: Intervals, Experimental
and Given Frequencies, Periods and Angular
Frequencies of each note
|
|
Note
|
Interval on Scale of Equal
Temperment
|
Experimental Frequency
(Hz)
|
Given Frequency
(Hz)
|
Angular Period
(s)
|
Frequency
(rad/s)
|
|
F
|
1.334
|
43.5
|
43.7
|
0.023
|
273
|
|
F#
|
1.411
|
46.0
|
|
0.022
|
289
|
|
G
|
1.491
|
48.6
|
49.0
|
0.021
|
305
|
|
G#
|
1.586
|
51.7
|
|
0.019
|
325
|
|
A
|
1.672
|
54.5
|
55.0
|
0.018
|
342
|
|
A#
|
1.773
|
57.8
|
|
0.017
|
363
|
|
B
|
1.871
|
61.0
|
61.7
|
0.016
|
383
|
|
C
|
2.000
|
65.2
|
65.4
|
0.015
|
410
|
|
C#
|
1.054
|
68.7
|
|
0.015
|
432
|
|
D
|
1.117
|
72.8
|
73.4
|
0.014
|
457
|
|
D#
|
1.186
|
77.3
|
|
0.013
|
486
|
|
E
|
1.261
|
82.2
|
82.4
|
0.012
|
516
|
|
F
|
1.337
|
87.2
|
87.3
|
0.011
|
548
|
|
F#
|
1.414
|
92.2
|
|
0.011
|
579
|
|
G
|
1.498
|
97.7
|
98.0
|
0.010
|
614
|
|
G#
|
1.600
|
104.3
|
|
0.001
|
655
|
|
A
|
1.683
|
109.7
|
110.0
|
0.009
|
689
|
|
A#
|
1.770
|
115.4
|
|
0.009
|
725
|
|
B
|
1.887
|
123.0
|
123.5
|
0.008
|
773
|
|
C
|
2.006
|
130.8
|
130.8
|
0.008
|
822
|
|
C#
|
1.059
|
138.5
|
|
0.007
|
870
|
|
D
|
1.119
|
146.4
|
146.8
|
0.007
|
920
|
|
D#
|
1.185
|
155.0
|
|
0.006
|
974
|
|
E
|
1.252
|
163.8
|
164.8
|
0.006
|
1029
|
|
F
|
1.339
|
175.1
|
|
0.006
|
1100
|
|
F#
|
1.419
|
185.6
|
|
0.005
|
1166
|
|
G
|
1.494
|
195.2
|
196.0
|
0.005
|
1226
|
|
G#
|
1.594
|
208.5
|
|
0.005
|
1310
|
|
A
|
1.675
|
219.1
|
220.0
|
0.005
|
1377
|
|
A#
|
1.778
|
232.6
|
|
0.004
|
1461
|
|
B
|
1.877
|
245.5
|
246.9
|
0.004
|
1542
|
|
mid C
|
1.997
|
261.2
|
261.6
|
0.004
|
1641
|
|
C#
|
1.052
|
274.8
|
|
0.004
|
1727
|
|
D
|
1.128
|
294.7
|
293.7
|
0.003
|
1852
|
|
D#
|
1.193
|
311.5
|
|
0.003
|
1957
|
|
E
|
1.259
|
328.8
|
329.6
|
0.003
|
2066
|
|
F
|
1.336
|
348.9
|
349.2
|
0.003
|
2192
|
|
F#
|
1.415
|
369.6
|
|
0.003
|
2322
|
|
G
|
1.493
|
390.1
|
392.0
|
0.003
|
2451
|
|
G#
|
1.585
|
414.1
|
|
0.002
|
2602
|
|
A
|
1.671
|
437.4
|
440.0
|
0.002
|
2748
|
|
A#
|
1.775
|
463.5
|
|
0.002
|
2912
|
|
B
|
1.892
|
494.2
|
493.9
|
0.002
|
3105
|
|
C
|
2.000
|
522.4
|
523.3
|
0.002
|
3282
|
|
C#
|
1.059
|
553.1
|
|
0.002
|
3475
|
|
D
|
1.121
|
585.6
|
587.3
|
0.002
|
3679
|
|
D#
|
1.193
|
623.0
|
|
0.002
|
3914
|
|
E
|
1.257
|
656.6
|
659.3
|
0.002
|
4126
|
|
F
|
1.337
|
698.4
|
698.5
|
0.001
|
4388
|
|
F#
|
1.421
|
742.5
|
|
0.001
|
4665
|
|
G
|
1.501
|
784.0
|
784.0
|
0.001
|
4926
|
|
G#
|
1.586
|
828.5
|
|
0.001
|
5206
|
|
A
|
1.680
|
877.4
|
880.0
|
0.001
|
5513
|
|
A#
|
1.775
|
927.1
|
|
0.001
|
5825
|
|
B
|
1.884
|
984.3
|
988.0
|
0.001
|
6185
|
|
C
|
2.006
|
1047.8
|
1046.5
|
0.001
|
6584
|
|
C#
|
1.064
|
1114.4
|
|
0.001
|
7002
|
|
D
|
1.124
|
1177.4
|
1174.7
|
0.001
|
7398
|
|
D#
|
1.189
|
1245.6
|
|
0.001
|
7826
|
|
E
|
1.260
|
1320.6
|
1318.5
|
0.001
|
8298
|
|
F
|
1.335
|
1399.0
|
1396.9
|
0.001
|
8790
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
According to Table 2, the
interval on the scale of equal temperment
calculated from the experimental data is
given. This data has an uncertainty ±
0.002. These experimental calculations can
be compared to the standard values given in
Appendix A. The experimental frequency is
also given. This data has an uncertainty of
± 0.1. The readings from the wave analyzer,
in the experimental columnm, can be
directly compared to the given frequencies
of the whole notes. The period, given in
column four is one over the experimental
frequency. Finally, the angular frequency
of the last column is calculated by
dividing 2 by the period.
|
Conclusion
The main objective of this
project was to identify several physical
principles that lie behind the operation of
the pump organ. In order to accomplish this
goal, the frequencies of each note were
determined. These frequencies were
extremely close to given frequencies. This
discovery was quite surprising considering
all of the reed tuning was done by ear when
the organ was constructed. Secondly, the
role of the stops in the changing of the
volume of the organ was analyzed. Finally,
the physical mechanics of the inner
workings of the organ were studied.
Overall, the tone of each
note on the organ maintains surprisng
accuracy even after years of use, which
points to quality construction and
ingenious design.
|
|
Interval
|
Frequency Ratio from starting
point
|
Corresponding
Note
|
|
Unison
|
1:1
|
C
|
|
Semitone/
Minor Tone
|
1.059:1
|
C#
|
|
Whole Tone/
Major Tone
|
1.122:1
|
D
|
|
Minor Third
|
1.189:1
|
D#
|
|
Major Third
|
1.260:1
|
E
|
|
Perfect Fourth
|
1.335:1
|
F
|
|
Diminished Fifth/
Augmented Fourth
|
1.414:1
|
F#
|
|
Perfect Fifth
|
1.498:1
|
G
|
|
Minor Sixth
|
1.587:1
|
G#
|
|
Major Sixth
|
1.682:1
|
A
|
|
Minor Seventh
|
1.782:1
|
A#
|
|
Major Seventh
|
1.888:1
|
B
|
|
Octave
|
2:1
|
C
|
|
(Bibliography)
|
|
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|
Anderson, Poul
Gerhard.
|
|
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|
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al.
|
|
The Physics of
Sound ISBN
0131830473
|
Berg, Richard E.
and David G. Stork.
|
|
Reed Organ; Its Design and
construction ISBN
0913746029
|
H.E.Milne
|
|
School for the Parlor-Organ,
Melodeon, and Harmonium
|
Getze, J.A.
Boston: O. Ditson and Co.,
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|
|
The Physics of Musical
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0387983740
|
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|
|
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|
Harry
F.Olson
|
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|
William J.
Strong
|
|
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|
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|
|
The Physics and Psychophysics of Music:
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|
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|
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|
Thomas
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|
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|
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|
|
Physics for Scientists and Engineers
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|
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|
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Mark
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|
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|