Transverse standing waves in a string with free ends

American Journal of Physics

Volumn 65, Issue 4, 1997, Pages 310-313

  Kashy, E ^a   Johnson, D A ^a   McIntyre, J ^a   Wolfe, S L ^a  

^a MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0031536386     PISSN: 00029505     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1119/1.18519     Document Type: Article

References (19)

1. R. Di Stefano, "Preliminary IUPP results: Students reactions to in-class demonstrations and to the presentation of coherent themes," Am. J. Phys. 64(1), 58-68 (1996).
2. H. Rubens and O. Krigar-Menzel, "Flammenrohre fur akustiche Beobachtungen," Ann. Phys. (Leipzig) 17, 149-164 (1905). See also Physics Demonstration Experiments, edited by H. F. Meiners (Ronald, New York, 1970), Vol. 1, p. 495.
3. H. Rubens and O. Krigar-Menzel, "Flammenrohre fur akustiche Beobachtungen," Ann. Phys. (Leipzig) 17, 149-164 (1905). See also Physics Demonstration Experiments, edited by H. F. Meiners (Ronald, New York, 1970), Vol. 1, p. 495.
4. D. Jihui and C. T. P. Wang, "Demonstration of longitudinal standing waves in a pipe revisited," Am. J. Phys. 53(11), 1110-1112 (1985). The authors question the interpretation of the flame pattern given in some introductory physics texts, and conclude that the larger flames occur at pressure antinodes.
5. G. Ficken and F. Stephenson, "Comments on the Rubens flame tube," Am. J. Phys. 54(4), 297 (1986). Based on their investigation "Rubens flame-tube demonstration," published in Phys. Teach. 17, 306-310 (1979), the authors suggest that the results in the previously cited reference may not represent a contradiction but rather a reversed mode of operation where sound pressure is high relative to the static pressure.
6. G. Ficken and F. Stephenson, "Comments on the Rubens flame tube," Am. J. Phys. 54(4), 297 (1986). Based on their investigation "Rubens flame-tube demonstration," published in Phys. Teach. 17, 306-310 (1979), the authors suggest that the results in the previously cited reference may not represent a contradiction but rather a reversed mode of operation where sound pressure is high relative to the static pressure.
7. A. P. French, Vibrations and Waves (Norton, New York, 1971), pp. 161-175. Instructive photographs of transverse standing waves on a string fixed at both ends for are shown for n = 1, 2, 3, and 5. [Taken from D. C. Miller, The Science of Musical Sounds (Macmillan, New York, 1922).] Similar photographs are found in other texts.
8. A. P. French, Vibrations and Waves (Norton, New York, 1971), pp. 161-175. Instructive photographs of transverse standing waves on a string fixed at both ends for are shown for n = 1, 2, 3, and 5. [Taken from D. C. Miller, The Science of Musical Sounds (Macmillan, New York, 1922).] Similar photographs are found in other texts.
9. F. S. Crawford, Jr.. Waves (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1968), p. 68 and pp. 233-244.
10. D. Halliday, J. Resnick, and J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics (Wiley, New York, 1993), 4th ed., p. 501.
11. E. Hecht, Physics (Brooks/Cole, Pacific Grove, CA, 1996), p. 473.
12. J. Sanny and W. Moebs, University Physics (Brown, Chicago, 1996), pp. 312-313.
13. R. A. Serway, Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Saunders, Chicago, 1996), 4th ed., p. 464.
14. Continuous-length closed-pattern extension spring, McMaster-Carr Catalog #9665K24, P.O. Box 4355, Chicago, IL 60680-4355. A thicker (1.1 cm in outside diameter), suffer, and heavier spring, catalog #9665K27, was also used and gave excellent results. When stretched to the same length, it had resonant frequencies 1.20 times those shown in Table 1. We have also combined these two type of springs end-to-end in a single string to show the variation in wavelength caused by a change in the linear density of a string for a given normal mode.
15. Braided Kevlar line, 70-lb test, from Dupont Fishing Lines, Wilmington, DE 19898.
16. J. S. Miller, Demonstrations in Physics (Ure Smith, London, 1969), pp. 257-258.
17. Both a commercial mechanical wave driver (Pasco Scientific SF-9324, P.O. Box 619011, Roseville, CA 95678) and one built at MSU were used.
18. Pasco Scientific digital function generator PI-9587A.
19. The signal generator was part of the Pasco Scientific Science Workshop Mac65 software, and required a computer interface (CI-6550) and power amplifier (CI-6552).