Resonance and Forced Vibration

Or the Walls come tumbling down

 Natural Frequency
• All rigid objects vibrate including
– Solid constructions
– Molecular and ionic bonds
– Electrons between electron shells
• Frequency at which vibration causes the
greatest amplitude is called the natural
frequency.
• Objects can have multiple natural frequencies
 Forced Vibration
• Occurs when object is vibrated at frequency
other than natural frequency of object
• Must be physical contact between objects for
transfer of vibration to occur
• Examples:
– Tuning fork on table
– Music box
– Speaker box
 Resonance
• Vibration of object at its natural frequency.
• Vibration can be transferred w/o physical
contact.
• Resonance can occur with frequencies lower
than the natural frequency of the object but
not above
• Examples: Bridge breaking, shaking of glass
shelves, car vibrating, sympathetic strings of
sitar, swing, Breaking a glass with voice,
tuning radio stations
 Check Question: The Three Tuning
Fork problem
• Three tuning forks of frequency 20 hz, 40 hz
and 80 hz are placed near one another.
Which forks will vibrate in resonance when
the following fork is struck: a) 20 hz b) 40 hz
c) 80 hz?
 Calculating Resonance for Standing
waves along strings and pipes
• For string connected at both ends or pipe
open at both ends
– Frequency=2v/ nl where n = 1,2,3…
– Length of string =n/2
• For closed pipe
– Frequency = 4v/nl where n= 1,3,5, …
– Length of pipe = n/4
• N=1 is called the fundamental frequency or
first harmonic and is lowest frequency heard