Question

One string of a certain musical instrument is 70.0 cm long and has a mass of 8.79 g . It is being played in a room where the speed of sound is 344 m/s.a. What tension must you adjust the string so that, when vibrating in its second overtone, it produces sound of wavelength 0.768m ? b. What frequency sound does this string produce in its fundamental mode of vibration?

Answer 1

To solve this problem we will apply the concepts of linear mass density, and the expression of the wavelength with which we can find the frequency of the string. With these values it will be possible to find the voltage value. Later we will apply concepts related to harmonic waves in order to find the fundamental frequency.

The linear mass density is given as,

$\mu = \frac{m}{l}$

$\mu = \frac{8.79*10^{-3}}{70*10^{-2}}$

$\mu = 0.01255kg/m$

The expression for the wavelength of the standing wave for the second overtone is

$\lambda = \frac{2}{3} l$

Replacing we have

$\lambda = \frac{2}{3} (70*10^{-2})$

$\lambda = 0.466m$

The frequency of the sound wave is

$f_s = \frac{v}{\lambda_s}$

$f_s = \frac{344}{0.768}$

$f_s = 448Hz$

Now the velocity of the wave would be

$v = f_s \lambda$

$v = (448)(0.466)$

$v = 208.768m/s$

The expression that relates the velocity of the wave, tension on the string and linear mass density is

$v = \sqrt{\frac{T}{\mu}}$

$v^2 = \frac{T}{\mu}$

$T= \mu v^2$

$T = (0.01255kg/m)(208.768m/s)^2$

$T = 547N$

The tension in the string is 547N

PART B) The relation between the fundamental frequency and the $n^{th}$ harmonic frequency is

$f_n = nf_1$

Overtone is the resonant frequency above the fundamental frequency. The second overtone is the second resonant frequency after the fundamental frequency. Therefore

$n=3$

Then,

$f_3 = 3f_1$

Rearranging to find the fundamental frequency

$f_1 = \frac{f_3}{3}$

$f_1 = \frac{448Hz}{3}$

$f_1 = 149.9Hz$