EXPERIMENT 2: DANCING PARTICLE IN compression (high pressure) regions of the air

RESONANCE TUBE particle.

4. In the low pressure region, the air particle are
ABSTRACT quite free to vibrate with maximum amplitude
The aim of this experiment is to determine the and in the high pressure region movements of
velocity of sound in the air, demonstrate the the air particle are rather restricted and hence
different zones of pressure and vibration
amplitude and also the wavelength of standing vibrate at very small amplitude.
wave in both closed end tube. A sound wave in a 5. Waves with the same amplitude, wavelength
tube was generated by a small of 8 Ohm, 5 Watt
and frequency moving the opposite direction.
speaker and low-cost amplifier was used to
amplify the sound signal from the mobile phone. y1 = A sin (kx – ωt) and y2 = A sin
To make the polystyrene bids, higher sound wave (kx + ωt)
amplitude was required to vibrate in the tube. The
value of velocity of sound that obtained from this y1 + y2 = A [sin (kx – ωt) + sin (kx
experiment is v=346.668 ms−1 while the standard + ωt)]
value, v is 343 ms-1.
Using sin a + sin b = 2 cos ¿) sin ¿)
where a = (kx – ωt) and b = (kx + ωt)
OBJECTIVE then y1 + y2 = 2A cos ¿) sin ¿)

To determine the velocity of sound in the air, = 2A sin (kx) cos (ωt)

demonstrate the different zones of pressure and 6. The resultant wave does not contain the

vibration amplitude and also the wavelength of function (kx – ωt) which means that it is not a

standing wave in both closed end tube. traveling wave. It called a standing wave.
7. Every particle of the medium oscillates in

THEORY simple harmonic motion with angular

frequency, ω amplitude of 2A sin (kx).
1. Since v ∝ √ T , the velocity of sound at any
8. The amplitude of an element in the medium
particular temperature can be determined if it
has a minimum value of zero when x satisfies
is known at one temperature according to the
the condition sin (kx) = 0, that is when kx = π,
following relation:
T 2π
v = vo
√ To
2π, 3π, …. Since k =
λ
, the amplitude is zero

2. When To is 0℃(273 K) the velocity of sound λ 3λ 5λ

when x = , λ, , 2λ, ,….
is 331 ms-1. Then at room temperature (20℃ 2 2 2

or 293 K) the velocity of sound v is, 9. These points with zero amplitudes are called
nodes.
293
v = 331
√ 273
= 343 ms-1 10. The points with greatest amplitude of 2A are

π 3π
3. Sound waves is produced by vibrating air when sin (kx) = ±1, that is when kx = , ,
2 2
molecules propagating through the the air as
alternate rarefaction (low pressure) and
 5π λ 3λ 5λ Smartphone
,….. which corresponds to x = , , ,
2 4 4 4 Perspex tube (30 mm diameter and 1.5 m length)
…. 3 Watt, 5 Ohm speaker
11. These points with maximum amplitudes are Polystyrene bids
called antinodes. Amplifier
12. Standing waves for both-closed-end tube: Tube stopper
Double-ended crocodile clips

First harmonic: N A N
N

PROCEDURE
λ 2L
L1 = 1 x ( ) or λ1 =
L1

2 1
1. Free apps was install from Play Store
NN

(Android) Frequency Sound Generator, FSG

(this apps have 3 oscillators and every
A

oscillator can generate 3 wave forms that has

N
L2

range from 20Hz to 20KHz) by using

A

smartphones. The interface of FSG was shown

Second harmonic: N A N A N in Figure 1.
N

λ 2L
L2 = 2 x ( ) or λ2 =
2 2
A A A
N N N N

L3
Third harmonic: N A N A N A N
λ 2L
L3 = 3 x ( ) or λ3 =
2 3

nth harmonic: N …………… N

λ 2L
Ln = n x ( ) or λn =
2 3

Figure 1: Interface of FSG

2. The resonant tube was design and

construction by using a piece of 30 mm
diameter and length of 2m of Perspex tube as
shown in Figure 2.

3. A sound wave in a tube was generated by a

small of 8 Ohm, 5 Watt speaker and low-cost
APPARATUS
amplifier was used to amplify the sound
 signal from the mobile phone. To make the RESULT
polystyrene bids, higher sound wave
Observe the vibrating of polystyrene bids for
amplitude was required to vibrate in the tube.
every harmonic of different frequency.

4. A speaker was fixed and glued at one end of

the tube and a tube stopper was fixed that
made of plastic at the other end of the tube to
make both-closed-end (BCE) tube.
(a) First harmonic
Perspex tube speaker 1n
polystyrene bids

(b) Second harmonic

Smartphone (FSG) amplifier
Figure 2: Experiment set up 1n 2n

5. The play button of FSG was turn on and the

frequency was adjust from lowest (0.1 Hz) to
higher frequency by rotating the round button
until the resonant occurred in the tube where (c) Third harmonic
the polystyrene bids vibrate at maximum
1n 2n 3n
amplitude as shown in Figure 3. This
phenomenon is called the first harmonic.

(d) Fourth harmonic

1n 2n 3n 4n

Figure 3: Polystyrene bids vibrate at

maximum amplitude for first harmonic

(e) Fifth harmonic

6. The second and other higher harmonic series
was obtain and measure as the frequency of Figure 4: Harmonic order of vibrating polystyrene
1n 2n 3n 4n 5n
FSG was increased further. The data obtained bids

was tabulated.
Data Calculation

Calculate the value velocity of sound from the

Tabulate the data of harmonic order and 2

experiment using formula; λ = L and v = f λ
n
frequency.
from the equation of the graph.
Table 1: Experimental data for BCE tube

Harm Frequency, f (Hz) y=mx+c

onic f1 f2 f3 f average From the graph

Order
y=86.667 x −29.133
,n
1 67 70 75 70.67 m=86.667
2 117 123 127 122.33
3 231 237 242 236.67
4 319 318 320 319.00 2
By using formula λ= L and v=fλ
5 402 410 405 405.67 n

2 Lf
v=
n

vn
f=
2L

Plot a graph of frequency (Hz) against harmonic v

m=
order number (n). 2L

Then,

v
86.667=
2L

v=86.667(2 L)

v=86.667( 4)

v=346.668 m s−1
Compare the value of sound wave velocity from From the experiment, we succeeded to determine
the experiment and standard value. the velocity of sound in the air, demonstrate the
different zones of pressure and vibration
amplitude and also the wavelength of standing
Value of sound wave velocity from the
wave in both closed end tube. We get the velocity
experiment is v=346.668 ms−1 while the standard
of sound in the air with 1.07 %percentage error
value of sound wave velocity is v=343 m s−1.
occurred. The value that we get from the
experiment is v=346.668 ms−1 was not same with

DISCUSSION the theoretical value which is v=343 ms−1.

Compare the value of velocity of sound as

obtained from the experiment with the standard
value, v = 343 ms-1 using formula:

v standard−v experimental
Percentage error = | v standard | x 100%

Percentage error = |343.000−346.668

343.000 |×100 %
=1.07 %

CONCLUSION