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This online virtual oscilloscope allows you to visualise live sound input and get to grips with how to adjust the display. If you find this useful, our online spectrum analyser may also be of interest to you.

An oscilloscope is a useful tool for anyone working with electrical signals because it provides a visual representation of the signal's shape, or waveform. This allows you to measure properties of the wave, such as amplitude or frequency.

The initial signal above is a 200Hz sine wave, which has an amplitude of 5 volts. The frequency of this wave can be adjusted by using the "Input Wave Frequency" slider. (You can also choose to display a square wave.)

If you are browsing using the latest version of Google Chrome, the input dropdown box allows you to select "live input". This will take data from any microphone connected to your computer and display the live audio data. (Different microphones send different voltages to the computer, so for consistency we have normalised the input so the raw input signal will always be limited to somewhere between -5 and +5 volts.)

Since waveforms come in a wide variety of shapes, amplitudes and frequencies, oscilloscopes need to have a number of controls to adjust the display of the waveform so it can comfortably fit inside the viewport.

Freeze live input
This tickbox freezes the input allowing you to effectively take a snapshot of what is displayed on the oscilloscope at a given instant in time. This is especially useful because you can still adjust the time base and volts per division setting. Try whistling and freezing the input. Adjust the timebase to a convenient scale allows you to calculate the frequency of your whistle by counting the period of one complete waveform.

Oscilloscope gain
This is a number that the incoming signal is multiplied by. A gain of 1 will have no effect, a gain of less than 1 will make the signal smaller and a gain of more than 1 will make it larger.

seconds / div
This control allows you to adjust the length of time that each square of the grid represents. When the oscilloscope is first loaded, this setting is set at 1ms, and shows one complete waveform over 4 squares. This means that the period of the wave is 4ms, or 0.004s, giving a frequency of (1/0.004) = 250Hz. If you change the timebase to 500µs (half of what it started at), you should see the waveform now takes 8 squares to complete one full oscillation. The period (and hence the frequency) remain constant because 8 times 500µs still equals 0.004s.

volts / div
This setting is very similar to the timebase setting described above, but instead of stretching the wave along the x-axis, it involves stretching it along the y-axis. The sine wave has an amplitude of 5V, meaning when volts/div is set to 5, the waveform just reaches the top of the first square. If you were to change the setting to 10 volts/div, the waveform now only reaches up half of a square.

Horizontal and Vertical Offsets
These two sliders allow you to adjust the position of the oscilloscope's trace on the grid. They are particularly useful for lining up parts of the waveform with the gridlines (this can make it easier for you to count the squares when determining wavelength, for example).

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This online virtual oscilloscope allows you to visualise live sound input and get to grips with how to adjust the display. If you find this useful, our online spectrum analyser may also be of interest to you.

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Videos I love

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This site is a curated collection of science phenomena for the NGSS, along with phenomenon based learning resources and help for how to use phenomenon to drive student questions in the classroom centered around 3 dimensional teaching and learning.

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Where to find inspiration

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Access Google Sites with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

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Improving Science Education Through Three-Dimensional Learning

Quick Search Next Generation Science Standards

THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF SCIENCE LEARNING

Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard-or performance expectation-and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.

Crosscutting Concepts help students explore connections across the four domains of science, including Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering Design.

When these concepts, such as "cause and effect", are made explicit for students, they can help students develop a coherent and scientifically-based view of the world around them.

Science and Engineering Practices describe what scientists do to investigate the natural world and what engineers do to design and build systems. The practices better explain and extend what is meant by "inquiry" in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires. Students engage in practices to build, deepen, and apply their knowledge of core ideas and crosscutting concepts.

Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) are the key ideas in science that have broad importance within or across multiple science or engineering disciplines. These core ideas build on each other as students progress through grade levels and are grouped into the following four domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering.

More about 3D Learning

GET TO KNOW

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K-12 science content standards. Standards set the expectations for what students should know and be able to do. The NGSS were developed by states to improve science education for all students.

A goal for developing the NGSS was to create a set of research-based, up-to-date K-12 science standards. These standards give local educators the flexibility to design classroom learning experiences that stimulate students' interests in science and prepares them for college, careers, and citizenship.

Get to Know the Standards

IMPLEMENT

The NGSS call for a three-dimensional approach to K-12 science instruction. This represents a significant transition from previous state standards. That's why effective implementation demands a great deal of collaboration and patience among states, districts, schools, teachers, and students.

Thoughtful and coordinated approaches to implementation will enable educators to inspire future generations of scientifically literate students. That is the vision of the NGSS. This website provides a range of high-quality resources that empower educators, administrators, parents, and the general public to help bring this vision to life.

Find Tools and Resources

WHY

Science-and therefore science education-is central to the lives of all Americans.

A high-quality science education means that students will develop an in-depth understanding of content and develop key skills-communication, collaboration, inquiry, problem solving, and flexibility-that will serve them throughout their educational and professional lives.

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Home Page | Next Generation Science Standards

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Improving Science Education Through Three-Dimensional Learning Quick Search Next Generation Science Standards Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard-or performance expectation-and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.

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TubeChop allows you to easily chop a funny or interesting section from any YouTube video and share it.