RESONANCE OF SOUND

A. PURPOSE OF EXPERIMENT
There are two purposes which want to be achieved from this experiment.
1. Observing the resonance phenomenon in open ended cylindrical tube.
2. Using the resonance to determine the velocity of sound in air at ordinary
temperature.

B. TOOLS AND MATERIALS
The following are the tools and materials needed in order to do this
experiment.
1. One set of resonance tube (complete with its scale and rubber tube) with
ssn in scale of 0.5 cm.
2. Tunning fork (frequency = 426.6 Hz).
3. The bat of tunning fork.
4. Water.

C. FUNDAMENTAL THEORY
The velocity with which sound travels in any medium may be determined if
the frequency and the wavelength are known. The relationship between these
quantities is shown below.
v = f
Where;
v = velocity of sound propagation (m/s)
f = frequency (Hz)
= wavelength (m)
In this experiment, the velocity of sound in air will be found by using tuning
fork of known frequency. The wavelength of the sound will be determined by
making use of the resonance of an air column. The apparatus for the
experiment consists of a long cylindrical plastic tube attached to a water
reservoir. The length of the water column may be changed by raising or
lowering the water level while the tuning fork is held over the open end of the
tube. Resonance is indicated by the sudden increase in the intensity of the
sound when the column is adjusted to the proper length. The resonance is a
standing wave phenomenon in the air column and occurs when the column
length satisfying the following equation.
( )
4
1 2

+ = n L

Where;
L = length of column (m)
n = from 0, 1, 2, 3
= wavelength (m)
Then if it substitutes the value of n = 0
1 1
4
4
1
= =
; the wavelength for the first resonance
Then if it substitutes the value of n = 1
2 2
3
4
4
3
= =
; the wavelength for the second resonance
After the value of wavelength of each resonance is obtained, it is now possible
to determine the value of velocity of sound in air for each resonance v
1
= f
1
,
v
2
= f
2
and soon can be calculated. Where the frequency (f) is the known
frequency of tuning fork. If the temperature increases, the velocity of sound in
air will increase for about 60 m/s per Celsius degree, so the velocity of sound
at the certain temperature can be determined by the following equation.
v
t
= v
o
+ 0,6 t (m/s)
Where;
v
t
= the velocity of sound at certain temperature t (m/s)
v
0
= the initial velocity of sound (m/s)
t = the temperature increasement ()



D. EXPERIMENT METHOD
The following are the experiment method that should be done in order to do
this experiment.
1. Arranging the tools and materials as the following picture.











2. Filling the tube nearly full of water. Strike one of the tuning forks with the
rubber mallet supplied and hold it above the water column. Caution: do not
touch the tube with the tuning fork - the rapidly moving fork can break the
plastic.
3. Using the moveable water reservoir, lower the water surface slowly,
listening for amplification of the tone. When a resonance is found, a
pronounced reinforcement of the sound will be heard. Move the water
surface up and down several times to locate the point of maximum sound
intensity and mark that point with a rubber band on the outside of the tube.
4. Lowering the water further to find the next resonant length. Continuing in
this manner as far as the length of the tube will permit. Obtaining the
lengths l/4, 3l/4, etc. in meters from the measurements.
5. Repeating the steps 3 and 4 for about 10 times.
6. Recording the current air temperature and pressure.
7. The recorded data should be written in a table as shown below.

Air temperature = .............. The frequency of tuning fork = ...............
No.
The lenght of the first air column (cm)
l
1

The lenght of the second air column (cm)
l
2

1.
2.
3.
...
n

Where:
l
1
= the first resonance and l
2
= the second resonance with the same
tunning fork.

E. DATA ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE
The following are the analysis technique used in order to analysis the data
recorded from the experiment.
1. Determining the value of the first average length l
1

and the value of l

1

=
10
1
1
n
n
l l And
1
10
1
2
1
1

|
.
|

\
|

= A

=

n
l l
l
n
n

2. Determining the value of the second average length l
2

and l
2

=
10
1
2
n
n
l l And
1
10
1
2
2
2

|
.
|

\
|

= A

=

n
l l
l
n
n

3. Determining the average value of
1

and the value of

1


=
1
1 4l And
(
(

A = A
2
1
2
1
1
1
l
dl
d


2
1
2
1
4 l A = A

2
1 1
4 l A = A
4. Determining the value of
2

and the value of

2

3
4
2
2

=
l
And
(
(

A = A
2
2
2
2
2
2
l
dl
d

2
2
2
2
3
4
l A = A

2
2 2
3
4
l A = A
5. Determining the value of

and the value of

i i i
f v = And
2 2
f
f
v v
v A
c
c
+ A
c
c
= A

6. Determining the relative error (RE) of experiment
0
0
100 x
v
v
KR
i
i
i

A
=

F. DATA OF EXPERIMENT
NO
The length of the air column or
the high of water in tube l
1
(cm)
The length of the air column or
the high of water in tube l
2
(cm)
1 18.0 59.9
2 18.4 61.0
3 18.3 60.1
4 18.5 60.1
5 17.9 60.3
6 18.2 61.0
7 18.0 59.8
8 18.1 60.9
9 18.4 61.2
10 18.3 60.5
Notice: l
1
= the first resonance and l
2
= the second resonance with the same
tunning fork.
G. DATA ANALYSIS
Analysis Table for The First Resonance
NO

(cm)

(m)

(m) (

1 18.0 0.18 -0.0023 5.29 10
6

2 18.4 0.184 0.0017 2.89 10
6

3 18.3 0.183 0.0007 4.90 10
7

4 18.5 0.185 0.0027 7.29 10
6

5 17.9 0.179 -0.0033 10.89 10
6

6 18.2 0.182 -0.0003 9.00 10
8

7 18.0 0.18 -0.0023 5.29 10
6

8 18.1 0.181 -0.0013 1.69 10
6

9 18.4 0.184 0.0017 2.89 10
6

10 18.3 0.183 0.0027 7.29 10
6

1.823 44.10 10
6


1. Determining the value of the first average length l
1

and the value of l

1

=
10
1
1
n
n
l l

1
10
1
2
1
1

|
.
|

\
|

= A

=

n
l l
l
n
n

=
10
1
1
823 . 1
n
l

1 10
10 10 . 44
10
1
6
1

= A

=

n
l


1823 . 0
1
=

l

0022 . 0
1
= Al

2. Determining the average value of
1

and the value of

1


=
1
1 4l
2
1 1
4 l A = A

1823 . 0 4 1 =

2
1
) 0022 . 0 ( 4 = A
7292 . 0 1 =

0000196 . 0
1
= A



3. Determining the value of
1
and the value of
1

i i i
f v =
2 2
f f v A + A = A
6 . 426 7292 . 0 =
i
v
2 2 5
1 7292 . 0 ) 10 96 . 1 ( 6 . 426 + = A

v
08 . 311 =
i
v 73 . 0 = Av
4. Determining the relative error (RE) of experiment
0
0
1
100 x
v
v
RE
i
i

A
=

0
0
1
100
08 . 311
73 . 0
x RE =
0
0
1
23 . 0 = RE

Analysis Table for The Second Resonance
NO

(cm)

(m)

(m) (

1 59.5 0.595 -0.0092 8.46 10
5

2 61.0 0.610 0.0058 3.36 10
5

3 60.1 0.601 -0.0032 1.02 10
5

4 60.1 0.601 -0.0032 1.02 10
5

5 60.3 0.603 0.0058 1.44 10
6

6 61.0 0.610 -0.0062 3.36 10
5

7 59.8 0.598 0.0048 3.84 10
5

8 60.9 0.609 -0.0013 2.30 10
5

9 61.2 0.612 0.0078 6.08 10
5

10 60.3 0.603 -0.0012 1.44 10
6

6.042 29.76 10
5





1. Determining the value of the first average length l
2

and the value of l

2

=
10
1
2
n
n
l l

1
10
1
2
2
2

|
.
|

\
|

= A

=

n
l l
l
n
n

=
10
1
2
042 . 6
n
l

1 10
10 76 . 29
10
1
5
2

= A

=

n
l


6042 . 0
2
=

l

0058 . 0
2
= Al

2. Determining the average value of
2

and the value of

2


=
2
2 3 / 4 l
2
2 2
3 / 4 l A = A

6042 . 0 3 / 4 2 =

2
2
) 0058 . 0 ( 3 / 4 = A
8056 . 0 2 =

5
2
10 41 . 4

= A

3. Determining the value of
2
and the value of
2

2 2 2
f v =
2 2
f f v A + A = A
6 . 426 8056 . 0
2
= v
2 2 5
1 8056 . 0 ) 10 41 . 4 ( 6 . 426 + = A

v
67 . 343
2
= v 81 . 0 = Av
4. Determining the relative error (RE) of experiment
0
0
2
100 x
v
v
RE
i
i

A
=

0
0
2
100
67 . 343
81 . 0
x RE =
0
0
2
24 . 0 = RE





H. DISCUSSION
According to the data analysis of the experiment, It is retrieved the following
results.
a. The velocity of sound in air at the first resonance (
1
) is 311.08
0.73 / which shows us that the real value is between the intervals
of 310.35 m/s till 311.81 m/s, with the relative error (
1
) = 0.23%
which shows us that the result of experiment is acceptable since the
value of (
1
) is less than 10%.
b. The velocity of sound in air at the second resonance (
2
) is 343.67
0.81 / which shows us that the real value is between the intervals
of 342.86 m/s till 344.48 m/s, with the relative error (
2
) = 0.24%
which shows us that the result of experiment is also acceptable since
the value of (
2
) is less than 10%.
It is believed that there are some errors that estimated inflence to the final of
this experiment.
1. Common Error
Common error is error that occurs because of the human error. The
common error of this experiment is the parallax error in the reading
scale of resonance tube. In other way, there is also an error when
striking the tuning fork. It should be striken on the top of resonance
tube but actually it was striken far enough from the top. An error when
using the moveable reservoir. It maybe too slow or too fast, then the
vibration of tuning fork was gonna stop before it reached the
resonance.
2. Systematic Error
Systematic error is an error that occurs because of the instruments used
as the influence of the environment at the time of trials. The systematic
error of this experiment is caused by resonance tube apparatus and the
tuning fork which did not work well.



3. Random Error
Random error is an error which the causing factors are uninvestigated.
The random error of this experiment is the fluctuation of temperature,
magnetic field, vibration of air, etc.
In addition, here are the errors of students and the suggestions to overcome
them.
1. At the time of trials, the striking tuning fork was quite often hitting the
cylinder tube. Actually, the rapidly moving fork can break the plastic.
2. The sound of resonance was quite small. Then it almost unhearable and
finally giving the wrong result of resonance wavelength.

I. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
1. Conclusion
Based on the results of the experiment and the discussion above, it can be
summed up as follows.
a. The velocity of sound in air at the first resonance (
1
) is 311.08
0.73 / which shows us that the real value is between the
intervals of 310.35 m/s till 311.81 m/s, with the relative error
(
1
) = 0.23% which shows us that the result of experiment is
acceptable since the value of (
1
) is less than 10%.
b. The velocity of sound in air at the second resonance (
2
) is
343.67 0.81 / which shows us that the real value is
between the intervals of 342.86 m/s till 344.48 m/s, with the
relative error (
2
) = 0.24% which shows us that the result of
experiment is also acceptable since the value of (
2
) is less than
10%.
c. The factors cause the relative errors in the trials is due to from both
the human and the instruments used and the environment in which
human do experiments that may affect the results data.



2. Suggestion
The suggestion that can be provided to the readers and other human in
order to do the same experiment is checking the necessary equipment. Do
the tool and the material taken or provided is still eligible to use or could
still be used or not. If actually it still can be used, then use them with well,
but if the tool used is not good, its recommend to replace it with the good
others because it will affect the final results of the experiment. It is also
important to not touch the tube with the tuning fork, because the rapidly
moving fork can break the cylinder tube.

REFERENCE
Suardana, I Kade. 2007. Petunjuk Praktikum Laboratorium 3. Singaraja:
Undiksha.
www.physicsclassroom.com/resonance_tube (accessed on October 23th, 2012)