PES Skill Sheets.book - Capital High School

Name: Date:
24.3 Palm Pipes Project
A palm pipe is a musical instrument made from a simple material—PVC pipe. To play a palm pipe, you hit an
open end of the pipe on the palm of your hand, causing the air molecules in the pipe to vibrate. These vibrations
create the sounds that you hear.
Materials:
• 1 standard 10-foot length of 1/2 inch PVC pipe for 180°F water.
• Flexible meter stick
• PVC pipe cutter or a hacksaw
• Sandpaper
• Seven different colors of permanent markers for labeling pipes
• Simple calculator
Directions:
1. Cut the PVC pipe into the lengths listed in the chart below. It works best if you measure one length, cut it,
then make the next measurement. You may want to cut each piece a little longer than the given measurement
so that you can sand out any rough spots and level the pipe without making it too short.
Number Note Length of pipe (cm) Frequency (Hertz)
1 F 23.60 349
2 G 21.00 392
3 A 18.75 440
4 B flat 17.50 446
5 C 15.80 523
6 D 14.00 587
7 E 12.50 659
8 F 11.80 698
9 G 10.50 748
10 A 9.40 880
11 B flat 9.20 892
12 C 7.90 1049
13 D 7.00 1174
14 E 6.25 1318
15 F 5.90 1397
2. Lightly sand the cut ends to smooth any rough spots.
3. Label each pipe with the number, note, and frequency using a different color permanent marker.
4. Hit one open end of the pipe on the palm of your hand in order to make a sound.
24.3