VELOCITY OF SOUND

Experiment 7
INTRODUCTION

Waves are disturbance which transports energy from one location to

another.

Sound- mechanical, longitudinal waves produced by creating

vibrations
Properties of waves
● Amplitude: the height of the wave, measured in meters.
● Wavelength: the distance between adjacent crests, measured in
meters.
● Period: the time it takes for one complete wave to pass a given
point, measured in seconds.
● Frequency: the number of complete waves that pass a point in one
second, measured in inverse seconds, or Hertz (Hz).
● Speed: the horizontal speed of a point on a wave as it propagates,
measured in meters / second
 Waves depending on the medium
● Transverse waves
● Longitudinal waves
- Compression and rarefaction
● Standing waves
Speed of sound vary on media
● Solids - travels fastest
● Liquids
● Gases
THEORY
Resonance Tube Apparatus

Wavelength

ƛ = 4L + 0.3D

where

ƛ = wavelength of sound produced

L = distance between a point and the top of

the glass tube

D = diameter of resonance tube

Sound wave Theoretical speed
of sound

V=ƛf Vth = 331

+ 0.6T => (20℃) => 343m/s

Where

v = speed of sound (m/s) T = temperature

ƛ = wavelength (m)

f = frequency (Hz)
Speed of sound
ECHO
Speed of sound in air

v = __L__
1/2Δt

Where
CLICK
L = length of tube

Δt = average total travel time

Speed of Sound in Solid (Kundt’s Tube)

Frequency of Sound Speed of

sound in rod

f=v/ƛ
VR = ƛR･f

Wavelength of sound in air Wavelength of

sound in rod
Speed of Sound in Air
Theoretical speed of sound in the rod

VR = √Y / f

where:

Y = Young’s Modulus (aluminum: 6.9x10^10 N/m^2)

ρ = density (2700 kg/m^3)

METHODOLOGY: ACTIVITY 1

4 5 6

The point between

the top of the glass The wavelength (λ)
The diameter (D) of
and where the of the sound
the resonance tube
loudest sound was produced was
was measured
heard was computed
measured (L)
METHODOLOGY: ACTIVITY 2

1 2 3

The vernier
The microphone The file “24 Speed
microphone was
was positioned of Sound” was
connected to
near the open end opened where data
Channel 1 of the
of a closed tube will be collected
interface
METHODOLOGY: ACTIVITY 2

4 5 6

The time interval

between the start
A snap of a finger of the first vibration The speed of sound
was done near the and the start of the and percent error
tube echo vibration was was computed
determined using
the graph
METHODOLOGY: ACTIVITY 1

1 2 3

The tuning fork was

struck with the The water was
rubber mallet lowered slowly
The resonance tube
until the loudest
apparatus was
The vibrating sound was heard
filled with water
tuning fork was while continuously
near the top
placed over the top striking the tuning
of the glass tube fork
METHODOLOGY: ACTIVITY 3

1 2 3

The rod was

A thin layer of cork The rod was rubbed using a
dust was uniformly clamped at its piece of cloth with
placed inside the center coarse powder
Kundt’s tube
A sound of high
frequency was
produced which set
the rod into
vibration
METHODOLOGY: ACTIVITY 3

4 5

A standing wave
pattern was formed in The frequency of
the cork dust inside sound, speed of
the glass tube
sound, and
theoretical speed of
The distances
between two sound, and percent
consecutive error were
displacement nodes computed
were measured
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Activity 1: Resonating Air Column

Temperature of air = 20 ℃ Diameter of Resonance Tube = 3.39 cm

Frequency Wavelength (m) % error
of Tuning
Fork Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

1024 Hz 0.065 0.068 0.071 15.8%

512 Hz 0.145 0.160 0.148 8.32%

Average Wavelength Experimental Speed Theoretical Speed

0.068 m 288.94 m/s 343 m/s

0.151 m 314.46 m/s 343 m/s

Activity 2: Speed of Sound

Length of Tube: 454 mm / 0.454 m

Trial 1 Total Travel Time

1 0.0028122

2 0.0026216

Average 0.0027169 / 2.7169 x 10^-3

Experimental Speed 334.20 m/s

Theoretical Speed 344.20 m/s

% Error 2.91%
Activity 3: Speed of Sound in Solid

Average of distances between node 0.0692

to node

Wavelength of sound in air 0.1384

Frequency of Sound 2486.99 Hz

Length of rod 0.92

Wavelength of Sound in Rod 1.84

Experimental speed of sound in the 4576.06 m/s

rod

Theoretical Speed of sound in the 5055.25 m/s

rod

% Error 9.48 %