lred !

ohnson
erlod 4
hyslcs 8
May 22 2011

Speed of Sound Lab

urpose
1he purpose of Lhls lab ls Lo deLermlne Lhe speed of sound uslng Lhe prlnclple of resonance

lnLroducLlon
8ackground lnformaLlon 1he speed of sound ls Lhe dlsLance Lravelled durlng a unlL of Llme by
a sound wave Lravellng Lhrough an elasLlc medlum ln dry alr aL 20 C (68 l) Lhe speed of sound
ls 3432 meLers per second 768 mph 1hls ls abouL one kllomeLer ln Lhree seconds or
approxlmaLely one mlle ln flve seconds 1he speed (ln dlsLance per Llme) dlvlded by Lhe speed
of sound ln Lhe fluld glves you Lhe Mach number Cb[ecLs golng aL speeds greaLer Lhan Mach
1 are Lhen golng aL supersonlc speeds

PypoLhesls lf Lhe lengLh of Lhe one openlng Lube ls greaLer Lhus maklng mulLlple harmonlcs
playlng aL once Lhen Lhe sound creaLed from Lhe Lube wlll be greaLer

MaLerlals

large graduaLed cyllnder
Lube open aL boLh ends
meLer sLlck
Lunlng fork
rubber malleL
logger pro (compuLer program)
compuLer
mlcrophone
source of waLer (fauceL)

rocedure

1 llll Lhe graduaLed cyllnder wlLh waLer Lo abouL 2/3 of lLs capaclLy and place Lhe resonance Lube
ln Lhe waLer ?ou can vary Lhe lengLh of Lhe alr column by movlng Lhe Lube up and down ln Lhe
waLer

2 SLrlke Lhe Lunlng fork and hold lL ln a horlzonLal poslLlon near Lhe open Lube uraw a dlagram of
your equlpmenL seLup for Lhe procedure secLlon of your lab wrlLeup and label lL approprlaLely

3 Move boLh Lhe Lube and Lunlng fork up and down LogeLher unLll Lhe sound geLs louder PlnL
1here are several louder" spoLs buL locaLe Lhe very loudesL Make sure when looklng for Lhe
loudesL spoL LhaL Lhe Lunlng fork ls aL Lhe closesL posslble poslLlon Lo Lhe Lube maklng sure Lhe
Lunlng fork ls noL Louchlng lL elLher

4 Cnce you flnd Lhe spoL of resonance (Lhe loudesL spoL) hold Lhe poslLlon of Lhe Lube and
measure Lhe dlsLance from Lhe waLer llne Lo Lhe Lop of Lhe Lube carefully Lape Lhe Lube Lo Lhe
graduaLed cyllnder maklng lL easler Lo work wlLh 8ecord Lhls value ln Lhe daLa secLlon of your
lab wrlLeup

3 1o flnd a more accuraLe wavelengLh value you musL now correcL for Lhe small amounL of alr [usL
above Lhe Lube LhaL also vlbraLes 1o do Lhls measure Lhe dlameLer of Lhe Lube 8ecord Lhls
value ln Lhe daLa secLlon of your lab wrlLeup

6 nexL mulLlply Lhe dlameLer of Lhe Lube by 4/10 1hls wlll glve you Lhe correcL dlsLance for Lhe
small amounL of alr above Lhe Lube LhaL vlbraLes 8ecord Lhls value ln Lhe daLa secLlon of your
lab wrlLeup

7 now add Lhe exLra lengLh of Lhe alr above Lhe Lube Lo Lhe lengLh of Lhe Lube when resonance
occurred 1hls number represenLs x wavelengLh ln cenLlmeLers 8ecord Lhls value ln Lhe daLa
secLlon of your lab wrlLeup

8 now calculaLe one full wavelengLh for Lhe sound of Lhe Lunlng fork and converL your flnal
answer from cenLlmeLers Lo meLers

9 uslng Lhe frequency glven on Lhe Lunlng fork and Lhe calculaLed wavelengLh calculaLe Lhe
speed of sound 8ecord Lhls value ln Lhe daLa secLlon of your lab wrlLeup

8esulLs
CbservaLlons 1here were many loud spoLs" ln Lhe resonance Lube as l lowered and ralsed lL l
observed LhaL when l would sLrlke Lhe Lunlng fork and puL lL very close Lo Lhe Lube Lhe waLer
would sllghLly vlbraLe as well as Lhe Lunlng fork (obvlously) l also observed LhaL Lhe graduaLed
cyllnders were of Lhe largesL l have ever seen ln my llfe and LhaL Lhey could hold greaL amounLs
of waLer

uaLa









**Lach test shou|d be w|th a d|fferent tun|ng fork!! kesu|ts
LengLh of Lube when resonance occurred (cm) 203
ulameLer of Lube (cm) 4
ulameLer of Lube x4 (cm) 16
x WavelengLh (cm) 3773
WavelengLh (m) 231
lrequency 3836
Speed of Sound (m/s) 8901

ulscusslon
SupporL for hypoLhesls My hypoLhesls was lncorrecL l sald LhaL Lhe longer you make Lhe Lube
Lhe louder Lhe sound wlll be 1he longer Lhe Lube was Lhe more sound decreased ln volume or
lnLenslLy 1he lengLh where Lhe Lube was Lhe loudesL was noL Lhe shorLesL lengLh posslble
however 1he lengLh LhaL Lhe sound was Lhe loudesL was a good Lwo Lhlrds of Lhe Lube lnslde
Lhe waLer

LlmlLaLlons/sources of error Some llmlLaLlons or sources of error ln Lhls lab would be LhaL Lhe
person holdlng Lhe Lube for Lhe searchlng of Lhe loudesL lengLh mlghL noL be able Lo keep lL
perfecLly sLeady whlch could have Lhrown off mulLlple seLs of daLa 1he mulLlple seLs of daLa
LhaL would be Lhrown off could lnclude Lhe wavelengLh frequency Lhe speed of sound and Lhe
lengLh of Lhe Lube AnoLher problem would be LhaL when Lhe person holdlng Lhe Lunlng fork
sLrlkes Lhe Lunlng fork and holds lL near Lhe Lube lf Lhe Lunlng fork ls noL Lhe exacL lengLh away
from Lhe Lube aL all Llmes Lhen lnformaLlon would be Lhrown off such as Lhe wavelengLh of Lhe
sound Lhe frequency of Lhe sound and Lhe speed of Lhe sound All of Lhese llmlLaLlons are
purely sub[ecL Lo human error however