EXPERIMENT NUMBER 4

STANDING WAVES IN A STRING

Names:

Jazon, Deric Louis

Date Submitted: 11-04-15

Parrenas, Judy Angela Carmela

Date Performed: 10-21-15

Torres, Patrick Jay

Wong, Hazel Jynn
Schedule:

Wednesdays 1:00pm-3:00pm

Objective/s:
a) To study the variation in the wave speed of a vibrating string with stretching force,
frequency and length of the string.
b) To determine the tension applied in the string that is required to be able to create standing
waves.
c) To understand the relationship between the number of segments and the frequency.
d) To understand the relationship between the mass and velocity.
e) To understand the relationship between the tension applied on the string and the wavelength.
Materials:
Sine Wave Generator
String Vibrator
Braided String (inelastic, low-density)
Banana Patch Cords (qty. 2)
Clamp or other device of securing the String Vibrator
Pulley
Mounting Rod for Pulley
Clamp
Mass and Hanger Set
Meter stick
Method:
The Sine Wave Generator was clamped 1 meter apart opposite to where the pulley was clamped.
A 1.5-meter braided string was measured and weighed. The end string was attached to the vibrating
blade and was run over the pulley. A 150-gram mass was hung at the knotted end of the string. The
length of the vibrating string, L, was obtained by measuring from the knot where the string was

attached to the string vibrator until the top of the pulley. The Sine Wave Generator was then turned on
and the Amplitude knob was turned all the way down in order to prevent excess vibration.
There were two sets of data that were obtain in the experiment, one is by using a constant mass
and the other one is with constant frequency. In both methods, the students were asked to obtain a
vibrating string with one, two, three, four, and five segments. With constant mass, the Amplitude knob
was adjusted. And with constant frequency, masses were added piece by piece in order to obtain the
desired number of segments.

Procedure:
1. Clamp the Sine Wave Generator and pulley about 100 cm apart. Attach about 1.5 m of braided string
to the vibrating blade, run it over the pulley, and hang about 150 g of mass from it.
2. Measure from the knot where the string attaches to the string vibrator to the top of the pulley. This is
distance L. (Note that L is not the total length of the string, only the part that is vibrating.)
3. Turn on the Sine Wave Generator and turn the Amplitude knob all the way down. Connect the Sine
Wave Generator to the string vibrator using two banana patch cords. Polarity does not matter.
Wavelength and Frequency
1. Set the Amplitude knob about midway. Use the Coarse (1.0) and Fine (0.1) Frequency knobs of the
Sine Wave Generator to adjust the vibrations so that the string vibrates in one segment. Adjust the
driving amplitude and frequency to obtain a large-amplitude wave, but also check the end of the
vibrating blade; the point where the string attaches should be a node. It is more important to have a
good node at the blade than it is to have the largest amplitude possible. However, it is desirable to have
a large amplitude while keeping a good node.
2. Record the frequency.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for a standing wave with two segments. The string should vibrate with a node at
each end and one node in the center.
4. Calculate the ratio of the frequencies.
5. Try touching the string at an anti-node. Try touching the string at the central node.
6. Use Equation 1 to calculate the speed of the one-segment wave.
7. Calculate the speed of the two-segment wave.
8. Adjust the frequency so that the string vibrates in three segments.
9. Continue until five segments. Record the frequency.
Data and Computations:
Part 1 (Constant Mass)
mass= 150 g

No. of nodes

No. of segments

Wavelength ()

Frequency (Hz)

Velocity (m/s)

0.5

44.5

1.0

90.5

1.5

136.2

2.0

184.1

2.5

227.6

No. of nodes

No. of segments

Wavelength ()

Mass (g)

Velocity (m/s)

0.5

1610

240.3

1.0

420

122.7

1.5

180

80.45

2.0

100

59.89

2.5

70

50.11

73.35

Part 2 (Constant Frequency)

frequency= 150 Hz

Sample Calculations:
mass of string:
1 kg
0.2735g ( 1000 g ) = 0.0002735kg
length of string:
100cm = 1m
m
= =
L
v=

0.0002735

= 73.35 m/s (Part 1)

Sample Equations:
v = f
v=

m
L

2L
N

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS:

1) If the string had several knots tied at irregular intervals along its length, could standing waves be set
up in it?

Answer:
No, there will be no standing waves if the string had several knots tied at irregular intervals
along its length. The string is a medium wherein two waves of the same speed, frequency and
wavelength travel in the opposite direction. These waves will then interfere with each other resulting to
a standing wave when the correct relationship exists between the string length L and the wavelength l
of the wave. The characteristics of a standing wave produced are the appearance of nodes and antinodes
at points along the string. In order to form a standing wave, a node must occur at each end of the string,
and an antinode must occur between each node.

2) A wave is represented by the equation y = 0.20 sin 0.40(x 60t), where all distances are measured
in centimeters and time in seconds. Find: a) the amplitude, b) the wavelength, c) the speed, and d) the
frequency of the wave. e) What is the displacement at x = 5.5 cm and t = 0.020 sec?
Answer:
The displacement of y of the medium due to wave motion at a position x and at a time t is:
2
y= Asin
(xvt)

( )

y=0.20 sin ( 0.40 ) (x60 t)

A = Amplitude
= wavelength
v = velocity
a
b

A = 0.20
2
=0.40

( )
=

c
d
e

2
=5.0 cm
0.40

v = 60 cm/sec
v 60
f= =
=12 Hz
5.0
y=0.20 sin ( 0.40 ) ( x60 t)

y=0.20 sin ( 0.40 ) [5.560( 0.020)]

y=0.20 sin ( 0.40 ) [4.3]

y=0.20 sin [ 1.72 ]
y=0.20 [ 0.77 ] =0.15 cm

Observations:
As the researchers increased the frequency, the number of segments also increases, therefore
they are directly proportional to each other, and the researchers adjusted the amplitude in order to see
clearly the node/internode. This is if the mass is held constant.
When the frequency was held constant, the researchers observed that when the mass is
increased, the number of segments decreases and when the mass decreases, the number of segments
increases, making it inversely proportional to each other.

Conclusion:
Therefore, in this experiment, it is important to adjust the frequency and amplitude slowly but
surely in order to get a precise outcome. Furthermore, the stability of the string and wavelength will
depend on frequency and amplitude applied to it. If the mass is constant, the frequency varies resulting

to the desired node(s) and segments. As the frequency increases, the nodes and segments also increases.
Thus the number of segments is directly proportional to the frequency (part 1). If the frequency is
constant, the mass varied resulting to the formation of nodes and segments. As the mass increases, the
nodes and number of segments decreases, making it inversely proportional to each other. The resulting
mass with respect to the frequency and frequency with respect to the mass will depend on the
adjustment of amplitude.