Velocity of Sound using Kundts Tube Aim: 1. To determine the wavelength of the stationary waves in a cylindrical tube. 2.

To determine velocity of sound in air. Apparatus: (i) Cylindrical glass tube, (ii) Function generator, (iii) LF amplifier, (iv) Sound head, (v) Cork dust, (vi) measuring scale, (vii) Universal Clamp. Theory: Interference and superposition Sound waves in air are longitudinal waves and propagate in the form of compressions and rarefactions. These waves produce alternately the states of compression and rarefaction at a point in the medium. When two or more sound waves travel together, the superposition principle states that the resultant wave at any point in the medium is the algebraic sum of the individual waves at that point. Suppose two sine waves are travelling together and have same frequency, wavelength and amplitude, but differ in phase, we can express their individual wave functions as sin , sin And the resulting wave will be 2 cos sin

(1)

(2)

Please note that the resulting wave will have same frequency and wavelength as the individual waves. If the phase constant = 0 or any even multiples of , the waves interfere constructively and the resultant amplitude is twice of either individual wave (Fig. 1(a)). When is equal to or odd multiples of Pi, the resultant wave has zero amplitude everywhere and interfere destructively (Fig. 1(b)). Finally when the phase constant is arbitrary other than zero or multiples of Pi, the resultant wave has an amplitude whose value is between 0 and 2A (Fig. 1(c)).

Figure 1: Superposition of two identical waves y1 and y2 to yield a resultant wave y Standing waves Suppose we have two identical waves, travelling in opposite directions in the same medium. sin , sin Then the resulting wave will be 2 sin cos (4) (3)

which is the wave function of a standing wave. A standing wave, as shown in figure 2, is an oscillation pattern with a stationary outline that results from the superposition of two identical waves travelling in opposite directions.
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The displacement of a particle in the medium has a minimum value of zero when x satisfies the condition sin (kx) = 0. i.e. when kx = n or x = n/2. These points of zero displacements are called nodes. Similarly, the positions with maximum displacements occur when sin(kx) = 1 or x = n/4. These points are called antinodes. It should be noted that the distance between adjacent nodes or antinodes will be /2 and the distance between a node and adjacent antinode will be /4.

Figure 2: Nodes and antinodes in a standing wave.

Standing waves in air column Standing waves can be set up in a glass tube as the result of interference between longitudinal sound waves travelling in opposite directions. The phase relationship between the incident wave and the wave reflected from one end of the tube depends on whether that end of the tube is closed or open. If the tube is closed at one end, the closed end is a displacement node, because the wall at this end does not allow longitudinal motion of the air molecules.

As a result, at the closed end the reflected wave will be out of phase with the incident wave. Since the pressure wave is /2 out of phase with the displacement wave, the closed end will be pressure antinode. The open end of the air column is a displacement antinode and pressure node. The frequencies at which standing waves can be set up in an air column enclosed by a tube that is open at both ends can be easily calculated. Because both ends are open, they should be pressure nodes and displacement antinodes. So the length, L of the air column must be equal to an exact number of halfwavelengths:

(5)

Where n is an integer number and is the wave length. So the resonant frequencies are

(6)

Where in this case is the speed of sound in air. The normal modes of vibration are shown in the figure 3(a). In the case of a tube that is closed at one end, Figure 3 the closed end must be a displacement node (pressure antinode) and the open end will be a displacement antinode (pressure node). The resonant wave will be as shown in fig. 3(b). Since the distance between a node and an antinode is an odd multiple of quarter wavelengths. i.e,

(7)

and resonating frequencies

(8)

Kundts tube In 1866, Kundt showed that when standing sound waves were excited in a tube, dust particles in the tube will be arranged in periodic pileups. Thus the nodes and antinodes can be detected by the characteristic striated vibration patterns of the cork dust as shown in the figure 4. The wavelength can be obtained from distance between two successive nodes and antinodes (the distance between two successive nodes and antinodes in a standing wave is /2). Then the velocity of the sound can be calculated as (9)

Figure 4: Kundts striations formed by the cork dust at one antinode. antinode Procedure: 1. The apparatus consists of a transparent glass tube of length 640mm. Distribute the cork dust uniformly over the entire length of the glass tube. Ensure that both the glass tube and cork dust are dry. 2. Connect the function generator, LF amplifier and the sound head. The sound head should be placed close to one of the glass t tube. 3. Tune the frequency generator slowly. At a certain frequency, a sanding wave will be present in the tube and can be visualized as periodic pileups of cork powder forms ripples or striations. This should not be confused with the nodes and antinodes. A sharp s standing wave will be formed only when Eqn. (5) is satisfied. If this condition satisfied, air does not move at the node points, thus, the cork powder does not move either. At the antinode points the air moves strongly and the powder particles are dis dispersed and can sediment only at node points. Measure the distance between two nodes or two antinodes, which will give half of the wavelength. Note down the frequency of the LF amplifier. 4. Tune the frequency again so that a higher harmonic is obtained. Once the standing wave is observed, repeat step 3. Care should be taken to distribute the cork dust uniformly over the entire length of tube after each measurement. 5. Calculate the velocity of sound in air.
5

6. Close one end of the tube and repeat the experiment.

Experimental arrangement for Kunds tube Observation and results: Table-1: Determination of velocity of sound in air using an open tube. Observation no. Frequency, f Distance Wavelength, (Hz) between two (m) nodes or antinodes, /2 (m) Velocity of Mean v(m/s) sound in air, v = f (m/sec)

Table-2: Determination of velocity of sound in air using a closed tube Observation no. Wavelength, Frequency, f Distance (Hz) between two (m) nodes or antinodes, /2 (m) Velocity of Mean sound in air, v(m/s) v = f (m/sec)

Questions: 1) What are resonant frequencies? 2) How does a wave get reflected from the open end of a tube? 3) Why there are striations or ripples at antinodes? (You may refer to R.A. Carman, Am.J.Phys.vol.23, 505 (1955), E. Hutchisson and F. B. Morgan, Phys. Rev. vol. 37, 1155 (1931)).