5. An air column 2 ft. long closed at one end is resonant to what wave
length? What number of vibrations will this sound have per second at
25°C.?
6. At 24°C. What length of air column closed at one end will be resonant
to a sound having 27 vibrations a second?
7. A given note has 300 vibrations a second. What will be the number of
vibrations of its (a) octave, (b) fifth, (c) sixth, (d) major third?
8. In the violin or guitar what takes the place of the sounding board of
the piano?
9. Can you explain why the pitch of the bell on a locomotive rises as
you rapidly approach it and falls as you recede from it?
10. Do notes of high or low pitch travel faster? Explain.
11. An "A" tuning fork on the "international" scale makes 435 vibrations
per second. What is the length of the sound waves produced?
(5) WAVE INTERFERENCE, BEATS, VIBRATION OF STRINGS
=340. Interference of waves.=--The possibility of two trains of waves
combining so as to produce a reduced motion or a _complete destruction_
of motion may be shown graphically. Suppose two trains of waves of equal
wave length and amplitude as in Fig. 329 meet in _opposite phases_. That
is, the parts corresponding to the _crests_ of _A_ coincide with the
_troughs_ of _B_, also the troughs of _A_ with the crests of _B_; when
this condition obtains, the result is that shown at _C_, the union of
the two waves resulting in complete destruction of motion. _The more or
less complete destruction of one train of waves by another similar train
is an illustration of_ =interference=. If two sets of water waves so
unite as to entirely destroy each other the result is a level water
surface. If two trains of sound waves combine they may so interfere that
silence results. The conditions for securing interference of sound waves
may readily be secured by using a tuning fork and a resonating air
column. If the tuning fork is set vibrating and placed over the open end
of the resonating air column (see Fig. 328), an increase in the sound
through resonance may be heard. If the fork is rotated about its axis,
in some positions no sound is heard while in other positions the sound
is strongly reinforced. Similar effects may be perceived by holding a
vibrating fork near the ear and slowly rotating as before. In some
positions interference results while in other positions the sound is
plainly heard. The explanation of interference may be made clear by the
use of a diagram. (See Fig. 330.) Let us imagine that we are looking at
the two square ends of a tuning fork. When the fork is vibrating the two
prongs approach each other and then recede. As they approach, a
condensation is produced at 2 and rarefactions at 1 and 3. As they
separate, a rarefaction is produced at 2 and condensations at 1 and 3.
Now along the lines at which the simultaneously produced rarefactions
and condensations meet there is more or less complete interference. (See
Fig. 331.) These positions have been indicated by dotted lines extending
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account