The singing shoebox. Part 2: Educational opportunities in a $5 loudspeaker

Moving-coil loudspeakers are an excellent resource for introducing students to acoustics: their widespread use makes them familiar to nearly everyone and the interdisciplinary nature of the device forms a technically rich problem. To exploit this, the authors have created a simple, low-cost loudspeaker in a shoebox to function as both a science project and demonstration. Because of the many technical concepts illustrated by this device, it is an appropriate demonstration for a wide range of academic levels. Already, the shoebox speaker has been used as a teaching demonstration in a previous session [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 127, 1910]. In this talk, the design and construction of the shoebox speaker will be shown, highlighting the incorporation of everyday materials. The focus of this talk will be on the educational opportunities afforded by this demonstration and its suitability for Project Listen Up. Lastly, the shoebox speaker will be demonstrated.