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Resonance Lab Student Work

This document describes how to measure the speed of sound using a tuning fork, tube, and water. You generate standing waves in the tube by vibrating the tuning fork at different frequencies. By adjusting the water level to find the position where the first harmonic standing wave is visible, you can measure the length of the air column. Using the relationship that the wavelength is 4 times the length of the air column for the first harmonic, you can then calculate the wavelength and speed of sound by multiplying the wavelength by the frequency. The results from this experiment show that the speed of sound stays constant, as expected, because it does not depend on frequency. As frequency increases, the wavelength gets shorter.

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135 views3 pages

Resonance Lab Student Work

This document describes how to measure the speed of sound using a tuning fork, tube, and water. You generate standing waves in the tube by vibrating the tuning fork at different frequencies. By adjusting the water level to find the position where the first harmonic standing wave is visible, you can measure the length of the air column. Using the relationship that the wavelength is 4 times the length of the air column for the first harmonic, you can then calculate the wavelength and speed of sound by multiplying the wavelength by the frequency. The results from this experiment show that the speed of sound stays constant, as expected, because it does not depend on frequency. As frequency increases, the wavelength gets shorter.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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How do you measure the speed of sound?

 
Background 
Because sound waves aren’t visible, we have to take an indirect approach to measuring their 
properties. One way you can calculate the speed of sound is by first measuring the wavelength 
using a tuning fork, a tube, and a container of water.  
 
Watch a video of this setup here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7wUvEA1v1A&feature=emb_title 
 
The tuning fork vibrates at a specific frequency. The water allows you to change the length of the 
air column by moving the tube up or down. You can hear resonance when there is just enough 
room in the air column (the part of the tube with just air, above the water) to create standing 
wave harmonics.  
 
For a standing wave in a pipe with one closed end, the first harmonic, or fundamental frequency 
looks like this. There is an antinode at the opening of the tube. There is always a node at the 
closed end. The length (L) of the is ¼ of the wavelength. 
 

 
 
You will only be measuring the first harmonic, but here’s a look at the higher number harmonics 
too. Notice that there is never even number of harmonics because there is a node at the closed 
end and an antinode at the open end. 
 

 
How do you measure the speed of sound? 
Collecting data:  
In this simulation, instead of listening for resonance, you can see the standing wave formed in 
the tube. You will measure the length of the air column when the first harmonic is formed. 
 
Link to simulation: http://physics.bu.edu/~du y/HTML5/speed_of_sound.html 
 
1. Choose a frequency for your tuning fork. Record data in the row for that frequency. 
2. Move the water level up or down until you see the first harmonic. Measure the length (L) 
of the tube. Record the length in your data table. Paste a screenshot of the first harmonic 
below the data table. 
3. Calculate the wavelength by multiplying L times 4: λ = L x 4. Record in your data table. 
4. Calculate the speed of the sound wave: v= λ x f. Record in your data table. 
5. Repeat for all frequencies 
 
 
Frequency, f (Hz)  Air column, L (cm)  Wavelength, λ (cm)  Speed, v = λ * f (cm/s) 

440  15cm  60cm  26,400cm/s 

512  12cm  48cm  24,576cm/s 

660  10cm  40cm  26,400 


 
Screenshot of the first harmonic: 
 
How do you measure the speed of sound? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Questions: 
1. Does the speed of sound increase, decrease, or stay the same? Why do you think that 
happened? 
Increase  
 
2. As frequency increased, what happened to the wavelength? 
Got smaller  

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