RESONANCE WITHIN

TUBE
A Sound Lab Report
Thyrell Smith | Physics |
PURPOSE

To Measure the Speed of Sound Using Resonance of a

Closed Pipe.

MATERIALS
PVC Pipe with
Rigged Acoustic
Length
Meter Stick
Stopper

Many Varying
Tuning Forks
Open Mind and
Attentive Hands
A Listening Ear

PROCEDURES
1. Measure the rooms temperature.
2. Select a tuning fork.
3. Listen and try to match the pitch with a resonant
length.
4. Blow over the opening of the tube and adjust the length
until it matches the tuning forks pitch.
5. The length should match the first harmonic/resonance
mode.
6. Place the tuning fork over the opening of the resonance
tube.
7. Find the position that makes the loudest sound then
record that length and the tuning forks frequency.
8. Repeat steps (2-7) 2 more times and average the
speeds.
9. Compare to the temperature based prediction.
(v=331.5+.6T)

DATA/CALCULATIONS
Room Temperature: 23.5.5C Temp.-Based Sound
Speed: 345.6m/s

Tube

1
.678m

2
.324m

3
.768m

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Length
Freque
288hz
128hz
384hz
ncy
Resona
1
2
1
nce
Mode
Sound
781.056
82.944
1179.64
Speed
m/s
m/s
8 m/s
Average Resonance-Based Sound Speed: 681.216 m/s

CONCLUSION

You can see that speed travels very quickly but

that speed can vary drastically depending on how high or
low the frequency is. You also have to take into consideration
things like temperature. As a musician you deal with these
kids of situation every day and it is interesting to see just a
little bit deeper and understand all of the sounds that enrich
our lives every day.

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