Velocity of sound in air- resonance

Kamaljeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit

Experiment-386 F

VELOCITY OF SOUND
USING A RESONANCE COLUMN
Jeethendra Kumar P K, Ajeya PadmaJeeth and Santhosh K
KamalJeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit, No-610, Tata Nagar, Bengaluru-560092. INDIA.
Email: labexperiments@kamaljeeth.com

Abstract
Using a speaker, microphone and resonance tube, velocity of sound in air is
determined and compared with the standard value. The conventional tuning fork for
generating sound has been replaced by a speaker connected to a power oscillator. A
microphone is used to detect sound generated by the standing waves. A digital
voltmeter is used to detect the sound level. These changes provide accurate and
consistent value for sound velocity.

Introduction
Resonance column experiment and determination of velocity of sound is one of the fundamental
physics experiments performed in physics labs. This experiment is performed using a tuning
fork, set of metal tubes and water. The tubes are held in position using a retort stand. Adjusting
the vibrating length by moving the tube vertically, above the water level is done manually by
holding the vibrating tuning fork in one hand and the tube in the other. This is a cumbersome
process for an experimenter. The accuracy of the sound velocity depends on the hearing ability
of the experimenter and hence accuracy of the results is questionable.

Further, any value between 300 and 400 m/s was obtained, as seen from the records. To improve
this method of determining velocity of sound accurately, we have redesigned the resonance
column apparatus. The tuning fork has been replaced by a speaker associated with a power
oscillator of variable frequency; the tube is fitted on a clamp which can be moved slowly for
accurate sound amplitude (intensity) adjustment. To observe the resonance when sound
amplitude is maximum, a microphone with digital meter is included in the set-up. These changes
provide more accurate and consistent values of velocity of sound.

Theory

Vol-12, No-4, Dec.-2012

Velocity of sound in air- resonance
Kamaljeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit

Figure-1: Vibration of tuning fork and contraction and rarefaction of air particles

Figure-2: Sound produced by the speaker and contraction and rarefaction of air particles

When a tuning fork or a speaker is excited, the air particles around the vibrating region contract
(come together) and rarefy (move apart), as shown in Figures-1 and 2. Sound waves are
produced which travel in the air medium with a fixed velocity that depends on the temperature of
air. These waves are longitudinal waves and their velocity is given by [1]

V=υλ …1

where V is the velocity of sound at T°C,

λ is the wavelength, and
υ is the frequency.

To confine the movement of particles and to observe resonance a hollow tube is used. One end of
the tube is immersed in water and a speaker is held close to the other end of the tube which is
open. The air particles inside the tube start vibrating. The vibration becomes maximum at the
resonance. The length of the air column can be varied by moving the tube up or down. There
sound intensity is maximum when there is anti-node at the open end and a node at the water
level, as shown in Figure-3. The next maximum of sound will be heard at another anti-node and
hence continues in the same manner. Hence distance between the two consecutive sound maxima
is given by

L= = − …2

Vol-12, No-4, Dec.-2012

Velocity of sound in air- resonance
Kamaljeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit

Figure-3: Standing wave pattern observed in the resonance column

If L1 is the length of air column at the first maximum and L2 is the length of air column at the
second maximum, then

L = = L1~L2 …3

Hence

λ = 2L …4

Knowing the frequency of sine wave exciting the speaker, velocity of sound can be determined
using Equation-1.

Elimination of tube end corrections

The water surface constitutes a node of the standing wave since the air is not free to move
longitudinally. The open end provides the conditions for formation of an anti-node, but the actual
anti-node has been found to occur outside the tube at a distance of about 0.6r from the open end,
where r is the tube radius. This end correction may be added to get a more accurate value if only
one resonance length is measured, but it is usually more convenient to eliminate this “end effect”
by taking the maximum sound vibrating length for two consecutive anti-nodes. By doing so the
common end correction (0.6r) gets subtracted and eliminated. Hence Equation-4 is used to
determine velocity of sound.

The speaker cone from where the sound emerges and the level of vibrating length measured
(from the frame where the speaker is fitted) are at different levels, as shown in Figure-4. This
difference also gets cancelled if two consecutive vibrating lengths at the maximum amplitude are
considered as in the previous case. Hence in this method there is no need to apply any end
corrections.

Vol-12, No-4, Dec.-2012

Velocity of sound in air- resonance
Kamaljeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit

Figure-4: Speaker used in the experiment with cone and frame and the standing wave
pattern formed at the cone
Apparatus used

The resonance column apparatus used to determine the velocity of sound is shown in Figure-5. It
consists of a stand on which a metal tube is fixed which can be moved vertically up and down. A
fine adjustment screw is provided. A speaker and microphones are fitted on top of the tube. The
sound wave travel down through tube and gets reflected by the water surface underneath forming
a standing wave as shown in Figure-4. Figure-6 shows the power oscillator and digital AC milli-
ammeter used to detect the resonance. At resonance the sound amplitude is maximum; hence the
current in the microphone is also maximum as indicated by the digital meter. The power output
of the sine wave from the power oscillator is about 1A.

Stand

Speaker-microphone

Movement screw

Slow motion screw

Acrylic jar

Power oscilltor

Figure-5: Resonance column apparatus

Vol-12, No-4, Dec.-2012

Velocity of sound in air- resonance
Kamaljeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit

Figure-6: Variable frequency power oscillator for exciting the speaker

Experimental procedures
1. Water is filled in the acrylic container up to the mark (about 2.5 cm lower than the top
level) and placed below the tube, as shown in Figure-7.

2. The speaker and microphone connections are made to the power oscillator and it is
switched on.

3. The frequency is set to 887Hz in the power oscillator by rotating the frequency knob.
Sound is heard in the speaker. The tube is moved down fully so that it touches the bottom
of the container and then slowly pulled up and clamped at the position where the
maximum intensity sound is heard.
4. By observing the current meter reading, the fine adjustment knob of the tube is rotated to
get the maximum reading in the current meter. This is the position of the first anti-node.

5. The distance between the water level and the speaker frame is noted. This is L1

L1= 6.4cm

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Velocity of sound in air- resonance
Kamaljeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit

Figure-7: Water filled tube under the speaker-microphone

6. The tube is moved up slowly by loosening the clamp further; as the tube is moved up the
sound intensity decreases and further upward movement increases the sound intensity. At
this position the tube is clamped and the fine adjustment knob is rotated to get the
maximum reading in the current meter. This is the position of second anti-node and the
distance L2 between water level and speaker frame is noted.

L2= 25.6cm
L = L1~L2 = 25.6-6.4 =19.2cm = 0.192m

Table-1
Frequency First Second L= L1~L2 Velocity of
υ (Hz) vibrating vibrating (cm) sound
length (L1) length (L2) V= 2Lυ
(cm) (cm) (m/s)
887 6.4 25.6 19.2 340.61
1060 5.2 21.9 16.7 354.40
1282 3.4 16.8 13.4 343.57
1509 25.5 14.2 11.3 341.03
1884 9.6 18.8 9.2 346.66
3450 5.8 10.8 5.0 345.00
Velocity of sound at 24°C 345.21
Vibrating length and velocity of sound on a chilly day

Hence velocity of sound is given by

V = υ (L) 2 = 887 (0.192) 2 = 340.61 m/s

The readings obtained are tabulated in Table-1.

Vol-12, No-4, Dec.-2012

Velocity of sound in air- resonance
Kamaljeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit

7. The experiment is repeated by varying the frequency to 1060Hz. The two consecutive
vibrating lengths corresponding to the maximum sound intensity are noted and the
velocity of sound is calculated and presented in Table-1.

8. The velocity of sound obtained in air is verified using the equation

V = 331.4 + 0.6T°C = 331.4 + 0.6x24 =345.8 m/s

which verifies the observed value of velocity of sound in air.

9. The experiment is repeated on a sunny day on which temperature was 32°C. The
vibrating lengths measured and the velocity of sound calculated are tabulated in Table-2.
Table-2
Frequency First Second L= L1~L2 Velocity of
υ (Hz) vibrating vibrating (cm) sound
length (L1) length (L2) V= 2Lυ
(cm) (cm) (m/s)
887 6.6 26.4 19.8 351.25
1060 4.9 21.5 16.6 351.92
1282 3.5 17.3 13.8 353.80
1509 13.6 25.2 11.6 350.09
1884 8.5 17.8 9.3 350.42
3450 15.8 10.7 5.1 351.90
Velocity of sound at 32°C 351.56
Vibrating length and velocity of sound on a sunny day (with air temperature 32 oC)

The velocity of sound obtained in air was verified using the equation

V = 331.4 + 0.6T°C = 331.4 + 0.6x32 =350.6 m/s

This verifies the observed value of velocity of sound in air at 32°C.

Results
The velocity of sound in air obtained on two different days is listed in Table-3.

Table-3
Air temperature 25°C. 32°C.

Vol-12, No-4, Dec.-2012

Velocity of sound in air- resonance
Kamaljeeth Instrumentation & Service Unit

Velocity of sound (m/s) 345.21 351.56

Experimental results
References

[1] SL Gupta and V Kumar, Practical Physics, Page -22S.

Vol-12, No-4, Dec.-2012