LabQuest App v.1.2 includes a separate application called the Audio Function Generator. This application generates audio signals through the LabQuest internal speaker or through external stereo speakers. To start the application, tap the Home icon in the tool bar and then select Audio Function Generator.
Explore the relationship between frequency and pitch either with the internal speaker or an external speaker. Start the application. Tap the icon that represents the link between the two channels. This allows you to play a single channel. Click the Play button for that channel. Change the frequency of the signal to change the pitch. How are pitch and frequency related?
With this setup, you might want to explore the hearing response of your students. What is the lowest frequency that your students can hear? What about the highest frequency? How does their hearing response compare to yours? If you are much older than your students, you might not hear the high frequencies as well as they do. Setting the frequency to 10 kHz might draw strong criticism from them, while you or others in the classroom may not hear it. This gives you an excellent opportunity to talk about the effects of loud music.
If you use a set of external stereo speakers, you can independently control the left and right speakers. This is an excellent way to demonstrate beats. Set one speaker to 600 Hz and set the other speaker to 610 Hz. Note the beat pattern. As you decrease the frequency of the second speaker down toward 600 Hz, what happens to the beat frequency?