Scribd
Upload
65 views2 pages

Standing Wave Patterns

When an object vibrates at one of its natural frequencies, it forms a standing wave pattern within itself. These patterns occur because reflected waves from one end of the object interfere with incoming waves from the other end. Only specific frequencies produce regular, repeating patterns called harmonics. Chladni plates demonstrate standing waves through patterns formed by salt sprinkled on vibrating metal plates - the salt settles at nodal points where there is no displacement due to destructive interference.

Uploaded by

Leon Mathaios
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
65 views2 pages

Standing Wave Patterns

When an object vibrates at one of its natural frequencies, it forms a standing wave pattern within itself. These patterns occur because reflected waves from one end of the object interfere with incoming waves from the other end. Only specific frequencies produce regular, repeating patterns called harmonics. Chladni plates demonstrate standing waves through patterns formed by salt sprinkled on vibrating metal plates - the salt settles at nodal points where there is no displacement due to destructive interference.

Uploaded by

Leon Mathaios
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

3/6/2017 StandingWavePatterns

StandingWavePatterns
NaturalFrequency
ForcedVibration
StandingWavePatterns
FundamentalFrequencyandHarmonics

Asmentionedearlier,allobjectshaveafrequencyorsetoffrequencieswithwhichtheynaturallyvibrate
whenstruck,plucked,strummedorsomehowdisturbed.Eachofthenaturalfrequenciesatwhichan
objectvibratesisassociatedwithastandingwavepattern.Whenanobjectisforcedintoresonance
vibrationsatoneofitsnaturalfrequencies,itvibratesinamannersuchthatastandingwaveisformed
withintheobject.ThetopicofstandingwavepatternswasintroducedinUnit10ofThePhysics
Classroom.Inthatunit,astandingwavepatternwasdescribedasavibrationalpatterncreated
withinamediumwhenthevibrationalfrequencyofasourcecausesreflectedwavesfromoneendofthe
mediumtointerferewithincidentwavesfromthesource,Theresultoftheinterferenceisthatspecific
pointsalongthemediumappeartobestandingstillwhileotherpointsvibratedbackandforth.Such
patternsareonlycreatedwithinthemediumatspecificfrequenciesofvibration.Thesefrequenciesare
knownasharmonicfrequenciesormerelyharmonics.Atanyfrequencyotherthanaharmonic
frequency,theinterferenceofreflectedandincidentwavesresultsinadisturbanceofthemediumthat
isirregularandnonrepeating.


NaturalFrequenciesandVibrationalPatterns
Sothenaturalfrequenciesofanobjectaremerelytheharmonicfrequenciesatwhichstandingwave
patternsareestablishedwithintheobject.Thesestandingwavepatternsrepresentthelowest
energyvibrationalmodesoftheobject.Whiletherearecountlesswaysbywhichanobjectcan
vibrate(eachassociatedwithaspecificfrequency),objectsfavoronlyafewspecific modes
orpatterns
ofvibrating.Thefavoredmodes(patterns)ofvibrationarethosethatresultinthehighestamplitude
vibrationswiththeleastinputofenergy.Objectsfavorthesenaturalmodesofvibrationbecausethey
arerepresentativeofthepatternsthatrequiretheleastamountofenergy.Objectsaremosteasily
forcedintoresonancevibrationswhendisturbedatfrequenciesassociatedwiththesenatural
frequencies.
Thewavepatternassociatedwiththenaturalfrequenciesofanobjectischaracterizedbypointsthat
appeartobestandingstill.Forthisreason,thepatternisoftencalleda"standingwavepattern."The
pointsinthepatternthatarestandingstillarereferredtoasnodalpointsornodalpositions.These
positionsoccurastheresultofthedestructiveinterferenceofincidentandreflectedwaves.Eachnodal
pointissurroundedbyantinodalpoints,creatinganalternatingpatternofnodalandantinodalpoints.
SuchpatternswereintroducedinUnit10ofThePhysicsClassroomTutorial.Inthisunit,wewill
elaborateontheessentialcharacteristicsandthecausesofstandingwavepatternsandrelatethese
patternstothevibrationsofmusicalinstruments.


ChladniPlates
AcommonPhysicsdemonstrationutilizesasquaremetalplate(knownasaChladniplate),aviolinbow
andsalt.Theplateissecurelyfastenedtoatableusinganutandbolt.Thenutandboltareclampedto
thecenterofthesquareplate,preventingthatsectionfromvibrating.Salt(orsand)issprinkledupon
theplateinanirregularpattern.Thentheviolinbowisusedtoinducevibrationswithintheplatethe
strummed
plateis andbeginsvibrating.Andthenthemagicoccurs.Ahighpitchedpuretoneissounded
outastheplatevibrates.And,remarkably(asisoftenthecaseinaphysicsclass),thesaltuponthe
platebeginsvibratingandformsapatternupontheplate.Asweknow,allobjects(evenasillylittle
metalplate)haveasetofnaturalfrequenciesatwhichtheyvibrateandeachfrequencyisassociated
withastandingwavepattern.Thepatternformedbythesaltontheplateisthestandingwavepattern
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/sound/Lesson4/StandingWavePatterns 1/2
associatedwithoneofthenaturalfrequenciesoftheChladniplate.Astheplatevibrates,thesaltbegins
3/6/2017 StandingWavePatterns

tovibrateandtumbleabouttheplateuntilitreachespointsalongtheplatethatarenot
vibrating.Subsequently,thesaltfinallycomestorestalongthenodalpositions.Thediagrams
attherightshowtwoofthemostcommonstandingwavepatternsfortheChladniplates.The
whitelinesrepresentthesaltlocations(nodalpositions).Observeinthediagramthateach
patternischaracterizedbynodalpositionsinthecornersofthesquareplateandinthecenter
oftheplate.Forthesetwoparticularvibrationalmodes,thosepositionsareunabletomove.
Beingunabletomove,theybecomenodalpointspointsofnodisplacement.




FlickrPhysicsPhoto
Saltissprinkledontoametalplate.Theplateisstrummedwithaviolinbowandsetintovibration.The
saltcrystalsvibrateabouttheplateuntiltheysettleontopositionsofnodes(pointsofno
despacement).Severalpatternscanbeobtained,eachassociatedwithauniquefrequencyofvibrations.
ThesestandingwavepatternsareknownasChladnipatterns,namedinhonorofa19thcenturyGerman
physicistwhoadvancedourunderstandingofacousticsandthephysicsofmusic.

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/sound/Lesson4/StandingWavePatterns 2/2

You might also like