Make a Whistle & Be a “Whistle Blower”

thingiverse

Make a Whistle and Be a “Whistle Blower” This is a STEM education project that explores the whistle mechanism (edge tone) instead of making a lifelike whistle. The whistle seems to be a simple yet complex design project, made up of a cylinder and a rectangle box with an opening and perhaps a ball inside. The challenge lies in designing a whistle that actually makes some sound or works as expected. It proves to be a messy process: imagine it, design it, and print it out. Most probably, it won't work as expected, which is why this stands as an inquiry lesson in a STEM class. A few years ago, I tried it and designed a few whistles that did not quite work. Recently, I decided to take on the idea again, encouraged by the ideas of a group of students. Below is a summary of my efforts. Summary of My Efforts 1. Without checking any reference, I imagined a whistle as I think I know and made a sketch in terms of its measurements and basic structure. 2. I tried an opening of random width (about 2.5mm) and played with the position of the edge/blade. 3. I realized that the width opening matters! Then, I made a few whistles with various widths from 10mm to 4mm. They all work! For me, the 4mm version sounds the best. 4. I did some search and found a page about “edge tone” (see reference). 5. I decided to make a whistle with adjustable opening. 6. The game is not over yet; more to think about when I have time. Among the Files 1. A whistle with a long neck and two versions of a slider for opening adjustment. I manipulated the neck so it can be printed without support. 2. Six whistles of specific opening widths, ranging from 2mm to 16mm. The 2mm version does not quite work. Reference 1. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Music/edge.html