GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1. In the length measurement of vibrating string, the segment close to the stylus
was not included. Why?
The segment close to the stylus was not included to minimize the error in counting
all the number of distinct segments formation.
2. What effect does increasing the tension have on the number of segment
formation? Justify your answer.
Increasing the tension in the string raises the speed of the waves along it and thus
raises the natural vibrational frequencies. The speed of waves along the string depends on
the string. If the tension is constant, the speed of waves is also constant. Moreover, we
can easily and visibly see the number of segment formations on the string while the
tension is being increased by the electrically driven string vibrator.
3. All strings on the acoustic guitar are of the same length. What characteristic
differences do they have that gives them different pitch (different frequencies)?
Discuss other procure that can be done to change the frequency.
The distinctive sounds of different musical instruments depend on the harmonic
content of the sound waveforms produced by the instruments and on how the waves are
excited--being
plucked,
stuck
or
bowed.
A guitarist can change the length of the vibrating string by pressing the string against the
neck of the instrument with his fingers. A plucked string vibrates in a complicated way,
with many of its harmonics contributing to its motion. In fact, it is the combination of
harmonics that gives a vibrating string its distinctive sound. The vibrational length of the
string can possibly be shorten and thus increase the fundamental frequency in varying
amounts by pressing the string down at different points on the fingerboard as what have
mentioned above. That is how a musician is able to play many different notes with a string
and other strings.
The fundamental frequency is the lowest resonant frequency of vibration of the
guitar string and the resonant frequencies that are integer multiples of fundamental
frequency are called the harmonic frequencies. The fundamental frequency is the first
harmonic; the frequency that is double this value is the second harmonic and so on. All
resonant frequencies higher than the fundamental, whether they are integer multiples of
the fundamental frequency are called harmonic frequencies.

PROBLEMS:
1. A string has a mass per unit length of 3x10 g/cm and is attached to an
electrically driven vibrator of frequency 100 vps. How long is the string if the
number of segments produced is 2 when under a tension of 0.2 kg?
= 3x10 g/cm
F=100 vps
T= 0.2 kg = 200g x 980 cm/s = 196,000 dynes
n= 2
f= n/2L
2Lf=n
L= n/2f

T /
T /
T /

L= 80.83 cm
2. A 2- meter long wire vibrates with a frequency of 330 Hz when the tension is
500 N. What is the the new frequency if the tension on the wire is reduced to a
factor of 0.5?
: L= 2m
f = 330 Hz
T = 500 N
T = (0.5) T= (0.5) (500) = 250 N
Required: f=?
f

f = 330

f=k T

f = 233.35 Hz

k= f/ T
f/ T
f = f

f/ T

250

500

ANALYSIS
On Table 1- Determining the frequency of vibration (constant linear mass density),
we had the liberty to select any size of the guitar string. We did not consider the segment
near the stylus to minimize the error in counting number of distinct segments formation
and their lengths. From Trial 1 up to 5, the tension T (mass added+ mass of pan x 980
cm/s) gets higher and higher due to simultaneous which is perpendicular to other
components of the experiment---finding the number of segments, length of string with
complete number of segments, L frequency of vibration. The average frequency of
vibration is 106.85 Hz and the actual value of frequency of vibration is 114.9 Hz. However,
the percentage of error we got was higher than the expected 5% of error which is 7%. I
must say that even though we had that kind of error percentage we are almost there to
the expected 5% error and we know ourselves that we tried our very best. The factors why
we had that percentage error of 7% are may be because we have errors in measuring the
length of the string with complete number of segments or the number of segments we
counted. Moreover, the constant diameter of wire used was 0.002 in and the linear mass
density is 0.0184 g/cm.
On Table 2-Determining the frequency of vibration (variable linear mass density),
the diameter of wire is changing every trial, there is specific diameter in every trial as well
as linear mass density which is perpendicular to each other. The results in tension T are
the same on the tension on this table. However, the results we got on the number of
segments n, are 3 and 4 only but to compare on the table 1 the results are 7, 6, 5, 4, and
3---changing every trial. The percentage error we got was higher than the percentage
error on the table 1 which is 8.33 %. This may be due to the factors of not accurately
measuring the length of string (with complete number of segments), L or the
computations done manually on calculator or maybe our carelessness. The average
frequency of vibration is 105.33 Hz and the actual value of frequency of vibration is 114.9
Hz.

CONCLUSION
I must say that on this experiment, we had determined the frequency of vibration of
a stretched string and studied how the frequency of vibrating string is affected by tension
and linear mass density. The dependency of frequency to the linear mass was determined.
For a given string, the speed of waves is along the string depends on the tension in the
string. If the tension is constant, the speed of waves is also constant. If the string is driven
periodically, it responds by vibrating at the frequency of the driving force. However, the
amplitude of the vibration will be much greater if the string is driven at a resonance
frequency. On the other hand, if the string is struck sharply and thereafter allowed to
vibrate on its own, only the resonant frequencies will persist. Although, we didnt attain
the less than 5% percentage error, we tried our very best to achieve that percentage error
or less than of that. I must say that we carelessly measure the length of the string with
complete number of segments or the wrong number of segment segments counted.