Set up for Standing Waves in a Tube demo
Set up for Standing Waves in a Tube demo
Set up for Standing Waves in a Tube demo
Set up for Standing Waves in a Tube demo

 

Code Number: 3D30.15

Demo Title: Standing Waves in a Tube

Condition: Excellent

Principle: Standing Waves

Area of Study: Oscillations & Acoustics

Equipment: 

Meter Stick, Plexiglas Tube with Speaker in the End, Microphone, Amplifier, Stereo Mike Mixer, Frequency Counters (2), Wave Generator, and Tektronix 2235 Oscilloscope.

Procedure:

Place the tube in an upright position with the meter stick along side as shown to measure the distances between the microphone and the speaker.  Plug the microphone into the preamp and output the preamp to the oscilloscope input along with a frequency counter.  Be sure you have a good battery in the microphone.  Plug the wave generator into the amplifier and the other output of the generator into the frequency counter.  Plug the speaker attached to the tube into the amplifier speaker outputs. Information on the parameters of the tube and the frequencies and observed nodes will be found in the file.

Several things can be explored with the PVC pipe that has the holes in it.  Put a speaker at one end and a microphone at the other.  Using "Matlab" on the computer you can generate a ramping frequency and look at the spectrum received.  Plugging one or several holes will markedly change the spectrum.

References:

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  • W. Bolton, "Resonance in Air Columns", Book I - Properties of Materials, Physics Experiments and Projects, 1968, p. 50 - 51.
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3D30.15 - Standing Waves in a Tube