OK, I realize writing all ten posts on the last day possible is probably not the best approach to this assignment. That said, let's just pretend I haven't been procrastinating all semester and think back to those first magical days of DIY.
The Speaker and the 9 volt battery:
Oh how I love the simple principles of electromagnetism which control our modern speakers. Succinctly put: a tiny copper coil, wrapped around a paper cylinder, and suspended in a permanent magnetic field. Electrify the coil, and the wonders of nature shall bestow magnetism upon the coil, causing it to be repelled or attracted to field the permanent magnet. We exploited this property early in class by interfering with the circuit; include a semi-conductive material (such as rusted metal or graphite) and drag the contact across it. Your ears will be treated to a satisfying series of pops and snaps as the current struggles to complete itself. Paperclips connected to opposite ends of the circuit and placed within the speaker cone create an unusual feedback device; as the speaker cone vibrates, it alternates between completing and breaking the circuit. If adjusted appropriately, this kind of circuit can almost produce a sound vaguely reminiscent of an actual frequency. Astounding! Other ideas? Toss in some random pieces of metal; screws, nails, coins, broken glass, etc. Cut/rip/punch large holes in the speaker cone and observe results. Or submerge your speaker in water and see how long it lasts (after about 10 minutes my cone became quite soggy and would generate delicious sputtering sounds as it died). After you are finished abusing your speaker, hook it up to a stereo system and check to see if popular music sounds any better. If so, immediately patent your design.
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