WAVES IN A RESONANCE TUBE

OBJECTIVE:
To determine the velocity of sound in air by producing standing waves in a resonance tube.

APPARATUS:
Resonance tube with plunger, meter stick, several tuning forks, and 10 mm to 1 cm linear graph paper.

THEORY:
There are many ways to determine the velocity of sound in air. The two ways which will be mentioned here
use the following equations. The first way is to calculate the velocity of sound from the observed room
temperature. The equation is

V = 331 1 + (Tc / 273) (eq. 1)

where v is the velocity of sound in air in m/s at the temperature Tc (°C.) The velocity of
sound at 0 C is 331 m/s.

The second way is to measure the velocity of sound from the wavelength of a known frequency of sound.
The equation is

v= f λ (eq. 2)
where v is the velocity of sound in air at the moment the experiment is performed, λ is the wavelength,
and f is the frequency. The second equation is also the general equation for any type of wave motion.

If a tuning fork is set in vibration and held over an air column, the loudness of the note will be greatly
increased if the air column is in resonance with the fork. A tube which has one open end and one closed end
forms an air column. The sound waves produce an antinode at the open end of the tube and a node at the
tube's closed end, because there can be no air displacement at that point (similar to the fixed end of a string).
Reflection also occurs at the closed end producing waves traveling in the opposite direction. The standing
waves will be formed in the tube and the resonance is reached at these conditions. This condition occurs
when the tube length is an odd integral multiple of 1/4 of the wavelength. Due to the geometry of the tube,
however, resonance occurs when the antinode is just beyond the tube's opening. The distance of the
antinode above the end of the tube is called the "end correction, and is about 0.6 of the radius of the tube.

Resonance may also occur when there is an antinode just outside the opening and more than one node present
inside the tube.
Because of the end correction, the tube length in figure 1a will be slightly less than 1/4 λ. However, the distance
between two nodes as shown in figure 1b will give the exact value of 1/2. λ. Since the distance between two
nodes is ½ λ, we can obtain the wavelength, λ, and if the frequency of the tuning fork is known, the velocity of
sound at room temperature can be obtained by equation 2.
PROCEDURE:
PART I. To find wavelengths of sound from various tuning forks
A) Position the plunger so that the air column is at its minimum length.
B) Strike a tuning fork and hold it in front of the tube.
C) Increase the length of the air column until resonance occurs (the sound
reaches a maximum volume). This resonance is to occur at the tuning fork's
fundamental frequency, but there is a strong possibility that the first volume peak is
at the tuning fork's second harmonic, a higher frequency (pitch). To determine
which frequency is producing the resonance, compare the pitch of the tuning fork to
the pitch of the sound coming from the tube. If they are the same, then the air
column is set at the proper length. If they are not the same, then increase the length
of the air column until the next volume peak occurs.
D) Measure and record this length (after comparing the pitches once again). This
distance is just less than one quarter wavelength, as shown in figure 1 a.
E) Using the same tuning fork, increase the length of the column of air until the next
volume peak occurs (at the fundamental frequency). This distance is just less than
three quarters of a wavelength as in figure 1 b.
F) Calculate the wavelength. The distance between the first resonance and the second
resonance (both at the fundamental frequency) is one half the wavelength.
G) Repeat steps A to F for at least two more tuning forks.

PART II. To find the velocity of sound

A) Using linear graph paper, plot a graph of wavelength, λ, on the y-axis and the
reciprocal of the frequency, 1/f or the period T, on the x-axis. This represents the
relationship
λ = v (1/f) = vT (eq. 3)

B) Calculate the velocity of sound in air, v, from the graph using the slope of the line.
C) Calculate the velocity of sound in air using room temperature in eq. 1.
D) Compare the velocities in PART II step B with the accepted value of the velocity of
sound in air in PART II step C. Find the percent error.