A 3D beating heart showing four chambers, four valves and blood moving around two circuits. Students change heart rate and stroke volume and read cardiac output and ejection fraction as they change.
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Beats
About this simulation
Beats adds two sine waves, f1 and f2, each adjustable from 8 to 24 hertz, across a time window of 1.5 seconds. The combined wave grows loud where the waves line up and nearly vanishes where they oppose, and an optional envelope outline shows the swell. Readouts give the beat frequency, the beat period and the average pitch heard. It explains how musicians tune instruments by listening for beats, and how the beat rate equals the difference between the two frequencies.
What students can explore
- Set f1 and f2 equal and see that the beating stops.
- Move f2 two hertz from f1 and read the Beat frequency.
- Turn Show envelope off and on to see the pulsing outline.
- Widen the gap between f1 and f2 and watch the Beat period shrink.
- Compare Heard pitch with the average of f1 and f2.
Learning objectives
- 1Explain beats as interference between two close frequencies.
- 2Calculate beat frequency as the difference between two frequencies.
- 3Relate beat period to beat frequency.
- 4Describe how beats are used to tune musical instruments.
Questions teachers ask
Is the Beats simulation free?
Yes. It is free, requires no sign-up and runs in any modern browser, including classroom whiteboards and tablets.
How is the beat frequency found?
It is the absolute difference between the two frequencies. Waves of 12 and 14 hertz make 2 beats per second. Real sound works the same, so 440 and 444 hertz beat 4 times a second.
How do I use it?
Adjust f1 and f2 with the sliders, switch the envelope on and compare the swelling outline with the Beat period readout. Time runs left to right across the graph.
Why are the frequencies so low?
Low frequencies make the waves slow enough to draw clearly. The physics is identical to audible sound, where closely spaced pitches produce a throbbing loudness.
Embed this simulation
Drop it into your LMS, blog, or class site — free.
<iframe src="https://kiwibee.io/en/simulations/beats-3d-simulation/embed" title="Beats | KiwiBee" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen style="width:100%;height:min(70vh,620px);min-height:420px;border:0;border-radius:16px"></iframe>Continue exploring
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