E105: Linear Expansion
E104: Transverse Wave: Frequency of Vibration
Rose Anne M. Malabanan
(School of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering, Mapúa University, Philippines)
Results and Discussion
We conduct two different types of experiment. In the first experiment we observe how the
aluminum and copper rod will respond to the change of temperature and how it affects the change in length
in thermal expansion also the concept of coefficient of thermal expansion. The coefficient of thermal
expansion describes how the size of an object changes with change in temperature. As we conduct the first
experiment, we get the following data as shown below. We use two trials for this experiment, in the first
trial we use the aluminum tube and we get a percentage error of 37.33 % while in the trial 2 where we use
the copper tube, we get a percentage of error of 55.5 %. In getting the coefficient of linear expansion we
∆𝐿
used the formula 𝑎 = 𝐿 ∆𝑡
by definition the coefficient of linear expansion is the ratio of the change in
0
length to the original length for every degree change in temperature.
Table 1. Linear Expansion
Trial/Type of Tube Trial 1. Aluminum Tube Trial 2. Copper Tube
Initial Length of Tube, Lo 704 mm 700 mm
Initial Resistance of Thermistor at Room 117.8 Ω 138.91 Ω
Temperature,
Initial Temperature, To 21.54 °C 18.1059 °C
Change in Length of Tube 1.262 mm 1.07 mm
Resistance of Thermistor of Final Temperature 12.31 Ω 17.69 Ω
Final Temperature of the Tube, T 76.39 °C 66.44 °C
Change in Temperature of the Tube 54.82 °C 48.33 °C
Experimental Coefficient of Linear Expansion 32.68 x 10-6 °C 2.661448 x 10-5 °C
Actual Coefficient of Linear Expansion 23.8 x 10-6 °C 16.8 x 10-6 °C
Percentage Error 37.33 % 55.5 %
In the second experiment we used different sizes of a string to determine the frequency of vibration
of it and how the frequency of vibration of the string affects the tension and linear mass density of it. In the
first part of the experiment the density of the mass is constant and the diameter of 0.02 inches was
determined with an increasing tension. As you can see in the table below the average percentage error that
we get is 9.57% and based on the results that we obtained, as the tension increases the frequency of vibration
𝑛 𝑇
is also increasing. We used the formula 𝑓 = √ to determine the frequency of the string with the
2𝐿 𝜇
values of number of segments, tension and the length of the string.
Table 2. Frequency of Vibration and Tension
Diameter of wire = 0.02 in
Linear mass density of wire, μ = 0.0150 g/cm
Trial Tension, T Number of Length of Frequency of Frequency of Percentage
(mass added + segments, n string, L vibration vibration, error
mass pan) (experimental) (computed)
1 53.900 dynes 3 35 cm 100 Hz 81.24 Hz 23.09 %
2 73,500 dynes 3 35 cm 104 Hz 94.87 Hz 9.06 %
3 93,100 dynes 3 35 cm 114.5 Hz 106.77 Hz 7.24 %
4 112,700 dynes 3 35 cm 116 Hz 117.47 Hz 1.25%
5 132,300 dynes 3 35 cm 118 Hz 127.28 Hz 7.29 %
Average percentage: 9.57 %
In the second part of the experiment two we determined the frequency of the string by a constant
tension and by the increasing of the linear mass density as each diameter of the wire increases. As you can
see in the table below the average percentage error that we obtained was 8.45%. Moreover, as the linear
mass density increases with a constant tension the frequency of vibration in the experimental and
computed is decreasing.
Table 3. Frequency of Vibration and Linear Mass Density
Tension, 98,067 dynes
Trial Linear Mass Number Length of Frequency of Frequency of Percentage
Density of String Vibration Vibration Error
segments (Experimental) (Computed)
1 0.0039 g/cm 3 67 cm 103 Hz 114.9984 Hz 10.4335 %
2 0.0078 g/cm 3 67 cm 91 Hz 81.3162 Hz 11.9088 %
3 0.0112 g/cm 3 67 cm 79 Hz 67.8602 Hz 8.6357 %
4 0.0150 g/cm 3 67 cm 62 Hz 58.6379 Hz 5.7337 %
5 0.0184 g/cm 3 67 cm 50 Hz 52.9438 Hz 5.5602 %
Average Percentage error: 8.45 %
Figure 1. Materials and apparatus used in the first Figure 2. Conducting the first experiment about linear
experiment expansion
Figure 3. Materials and apparatus used in the second Figure 4. Conducting the second experiment by getting the
experiment frequency of vibration of the string
Conclusion
Based on the results and discussion and table of the experiment. I conclude that the results and
discussion of the conducted experiment was supported by the table and graphs of our experiments. In the
first experiment it was about linear expansion of the rod and the concept of the coefficient of linear
expansion on how the temperature will affect the rod. We conclude that the change of temperature is directly
proportional to its change in length and the change of its temperature and its dimension is related to the
coefficient of linear expansion.
The factors that affect the error of our experiment is the temperature of the room because the room
is an airconditioned room that’s why it effects the final temperature of the metal rod. That’s why our
percentage error was a bit higher because of the temperature of the room. In addition to that is the type of
materials used in the experiment (copper and aluminum) it affects the coefficient of linear expansion. The
factors of temperature when the temperature increases it makes the metal to extend its length and while the
temperature decreases the metal rods are contracts. Overall the result of the first experiment is a success.
In the second experiment where we determine the frequency of the vibration of the string with
constant mass density and diameter of wire and when the tension is constant, and the linear mass density is
increasing. We conclude that the frequency is inversely proportional to the length of the string and mass
density of the string, while directly proportional to the number of segments. Moreover, the frequency of
vibration of the spring is compared to the actual value and it affects the tension and mass density of the
spring.
The factors that affects the error of the experiment is the string because it must not have flaw or
have a bent form. The other factor that affects the error of the experiment is the pulley because it is moving
it should not be moving so that when the string is vibrating it will not rotate. The other one is when the
length of the string is not constant it may affect the experiment because it should be the same to each other.
This experiment can be applied when you are tuning a guitar instrument or other string instruments,
REFERENCE
Origin of negative thermal expansion phenomenon in solids. Zi-Kui Liu, Yi Wang, Shun-Li Shang. Scripta
Materialia. Vol. 65 No. 8 (October 2011): 664–667.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-physics/chapter/waves/
