Free licensing software for numerical simulations, mathematics, and spectral analysis were used to explain the vibrations of a system readily available for each student in a classroom: the free beam. Its first free mode was explored analytically and experimentally, as well as using the finite element method. Prior to the course, students were unfamiliar with the usefulness of this kind of software, but after the course the students still use it. To show it, practical cases of students applying these computational tools were included at the end of this paper: a thesis about violin making, and final projects from a course in a master’s degree program. Therefore, it is evident the advantage of supporting explanations in classroom with computational tools accessible for all, and this paper can be used as tutorial for this purpose

No abstract