Experiment Report 6

DETERMINATION OF SOUND WAVELENGTH AND

VELOCITY USING STANDING WAVE PHENOMENON

I.Purpose of the experiment

- To understand the physical phenomenon of standing wave and to determine the sound
wave length and propagation velocity.

II. Theoretical background

- Considering a suitable initial moment t so that the incoming wave with frequency f
making a oscillation at point N in form: x 1 N =a o sin 2 πft (a o: amplitude )

- The reflective wave also creates

an oscillation of which phase is
opposite at N:
x 2=−a o sin2 πft
It means that the algebraic sum
of two oscillations is equal to 0 at
N:
x N =x 1 N + x 2 N =0
- The oscillation made by the
incoming wave at M at moment t
is the same as at N at
- moment t + y/v:
x 1 M =a0 sin 2 πf (t− y /v)

- The oscillation made by the reflected wave at M will be later than that at N with an
amount of y/v: x 2 M =−a0 sin 2 πf (t + y / v)

- The resultant wave equation will be:

x M =x1 M + x2 M =2 ao sin 2 πft ( y /¿ v )cos 2 πft ¿
- The sound wavelength  :  = v/f
 - The amplitude of the resultant wave at M is:
a=¿
- Hence:
+ The position of nodes where the amplitude equals to zero are corresponding to:
2(y/) = k or y = k(/2) where k = 0, 1, 2, 3,…
+ The positions of antinodes where the amplitude is maximum are corresponding to:
2(y/) =(2k+1)./2 or y=(2k+1).(/4) ( where k = 0, 1, 2, 3…)

- The distance between two conjugative nodes or antinodes is λ/2, that is:
d= y k+1− y k =λ /2
- The distance L between its open-end and point N is determined as:
L=¿ k( λ /2¿ + (λ /2) ( k = 0, 1, 2, 3,…)

III. Experiment procedure

- Step 1: Switch the frequency knob on the surface of base box to the position of 500Hz
- Step 2: Move up the piston and observe the movement of the ampere-meter’s hand
when it gets the maximum deviation
- Step 3: Record the position L1 of the piston
- Step 4: Continue to move up the piston and observe the movement of microampere-
meter’ hand.
- Step 5: Again, record the second position of the piston L2
- Step 6: Repeat the experiment steps of 2 to 5 for more four times.
- Step 7: Perform again all the measurement with frequency 600Hz and 700Hz.

IV. Experiment result

Table 1

Frequency: f 1=500 ±1 Hz

Trial L1 (mm) L2 (mm) d 1=L2−L1 (mm)

1 165 515 350

 2 166 511 345
3 170 517 347
4 168 515 348
5 166 515 349

√∑
5
d 1=3 47.8(mm) s . d= ¿¿¿¿
i=1
s.d
→ ∆ d1 ≈ S . D ≈ ≈ 0.860(mm)
√5

Table 2

Frequency: f 2=600 ± 1 Hz

Trial L1 (mm) L2 (mm) d 2=L2−L1 (mm)

1 135 427 292

2 137 427 290
3 139 428 289
4 134 428 294
5 136 428 292

√∑
5
d 2=291.4 (mm) s . d= ¿¿¿¿
i=1
s.d
→ ∆ d2 ≈ S . D ≈ ≈ 0.872(mm)
√5

Table 3
 Frequency: f 3=700 ±1 Hz

Trial L1 (mm) L2 (mm) d 3=L2 −L1 (mm)

1 114 365 251

2 115 364 249
3 113 367 254
4 111 366 255
5 112 365 253

√
5
d 3=249(mm) s . d= ∑ ¿¿¿¿
i=1
s.d
→ ∆ d3 ≈ S . D ≈ ≈ 1.140( mm)
√5

V.Data processing
1. Calculate of Average value and Absolute error of Wave length
a. f 1=500 ±1 Hz :
−3 −3
λ 1=2⋅ d 1=2 ×347.8 ×1 0 =695.6 ×1 0 (m)

√
Δ λ1= ( 2 Δ d 1 ) = √ ( 2 ×0.86 ) =1.72 mm=1.72 ×1 0 m
2 2 −3

Hence:
−3
λ 1=(695.6 ± 1.72)× 10 (m)

b. f 2=600 ± 1 Hz :
−3 −3
λ 2=2⋅ d 2=2 ×291.4 × 10 =582.8 ×1 0 (m)

√
Δ λ2= ( 2 Δ d 2 ) = √( 2 × 0.872 ) =1.744 mm=1.744 ×1 0 (m)
2 2 −3

Hence:
−3
λ 2=(582.8 ± 1.744)×1 0 (m)

c. f 3=700 ±1 Hz :
 −3 −3
λ 3=2 ⋅d 3=2 ×249 ×1 0 =498 ×1 0 (m)

√
Δ λ3= ( 2 Δ d3 ) =√ ( 2×1.140 ) =2.280 mm=2.280× 1 0 (m)
2 2 −3

Hence:
−3
λ 3=(498 ±2.280)×1 0 (m)

2. Calculate of Average value and Absolute error of Sound velocity

a. f 1=500 ±1 Hz :
−3
v 1=λ1 ⋅f 1 =695.6 ×1 0 ×500=347.8(m/ s)

√( )( )
Δ λ1 2 Δ f 1 2
√( ) ( )
2 2
0.66 1
⇒ Δ v 1=v 1 + =347.8 × + =1.106(m/s)
λ1 f1 700 500

Hence:
v 1=347.8 ±1.106 (m/s)

−3
b. f 2=600 ± 1 Hz : v 2=λ2 ⋅f 2=582.8× 1 0 ×600=349.68(m/s )

√( )( )
Δ λ2 2 Δ f 2 2
√( )( )
2 2
1.744 1
⇒ Δ v 2=v 2 + =349.68× + =1.198 (m/s)
λ2 f2 582.8 600

Hence:
v 2=349.68 ±1.198(m/s)

c. f 3=700 ±1 Hz :
−3
v 3=λ3 ⋅ f 3=498 × 10 × 700=348.6 (m/s)

√( )( )
Δ λ3 2 Δ f 3 2
√( )( )
2 2
2.280 1
⇒ Δ v 3=v 3 + =348.6 × + =1. 672 ( m/s )
λ3 f3 498 700

Hence:
v 3=348.6 ±1.672 (m/s)

3. Theoretical velocity of sound wave and experimental values:

 Theoretically, the velocity of sound wave at a temperature T can be calculated as
follows:
v=v 0 ⋅ √ 1+α . T

At room temperature T=29° C : v=332.0 × 1+

√ 29
273
≈ 349.189

In direct comparison with v 1 , v 2 , v 3which are measured above, we can

conclude that our experimental values are acceptable since they are approximate to
the theoretical value.