Measurement Of The Speed Of Transverse Waves Propagation Through A String

Measurement of the speed of transverse waves propagation through a string.

Measure the diameter d and length l (in m) of the testing string. Determine the weight (in kg) of loads m1, m2, m3.

2. Stretch the string by attaching m1 mass load. Turn on sin-wave oscillator and set in its output an appropriate alternating current (Do not move a magnet!). Tuning output frequency of a sin-wave oscillator, determine the fundamental resonant frequency of the standing wave (N = 1) in the string.

3. Repeat bullet 2 measurements at different frequency for different harmonics N (ask your tutor) resonantfrequency standing waves in the string. Note the results in Table 1.

4. Calculate speed of the standing wave using Eqs. (1) and (2). Note these results in Table 1.

5. Repeat bullets 2 and 3 measurements for two more times at various stretching (m1  m2 and m1  m2  m3 ) levels of the string.

6. Plot the dependence of the speed versus root of the stretching force Fs of the string.

7. Estimate the errors of measurements. Draw conclusion.