Figure 1. A finger pressing down on the key of a grand piano. This picture was taken in Coughlin Hall. Figure 2. One of the dampers (the third from the left) is raised in comparison to the other dampers as a consequence of the associated key being pressed down. It can also be noted that there are three strings for an individual damper. This picture was taken in Coughlin Hall. Striking a piano key in order to produce a sound involves several different physics concepts. There are many different moving parts inside of a grand piano for each key, but this paper will explain the mechanisms using a simplified diagram of the main components…show more content… The lever arm is the length of the distance between the line of action and the axis of rotation (Cutnell). The line of action is typically at the end of the key and is perpendicular with the key. As the part of the key that is inside of the piano lifts up, it applies an upward force on the damper, which normally rests on the string, and an upwards force on the hammer. The hammer then accelerates upwards and inertia causes the hammer to continue moving upwards until it strikes the key. This is due to Newton's law of motion. The hammer moves because Newton's second law of motion states that when there is a net external force on an object then the object will have a directly proportional acceleration that is inversely proportional to its mass (Cutnell). Then, the hammer continues moving upward as a consequence of Newton's first law of motion which states that an object will continue in the state that is in unless a net force compels it to change (Cutnell). The hammer is separate from the key because if the hammer were directly connected to the key, then holding down the key would dampen the sound. Thus, there is a release mechanism independent of the key that allows for the hammer to fall back down, due to gravity, after striking the…show more content… Cristifori was hired as a music technician and inventor, which lead him to the creation of the piano. The piano was originally named, gravicembalo col piano a forte, which translates to "a harpsichord with a possibility to play soft and loud" (Vogel). The Metropolitan Museum of Art actually houses one of Cristifori's piano's that was crafted in 1720 and they claim that "the highly complex action of the modern piano may be traced directly to his original conception," ("Grand Piano"). The instrument's action refers to the mechanism by which the instrument operates. It is quite incredible how similar the modern piano looks in comparison to the first pianos that were made. Despite their similarities, today's pianos can be quite complex. The Steinway grand piano actually contains over 10,000 moving parts in order to create the high quality sound that it is known for ("Grand Piano Buying Guide"). It is also interesting to note that a grand piano's action differs from an upright piano. The grand piano uses gravity to reset the hammer which allows for notes to be hit faster than in an upright which relies on a different mechanism for its hammer ("How the Piano
