H3-11: TUNING FORKS AND RESONANT TUBE
- ID Code: H3-11
- Purpose: Illustrate resonance in an air column.
- Description:
This demonstration includes a clear plastic tube and two tuning forks, of slightly different frequencies.Strike either tuning fork and hold it to the end of the tube. The sound intensity of the fork at the resonant frequency (480Hz) of the tube increases dramatically, as the second harmonic of the tube is excited; whereas the fork with the non-resonant frequency (384Hz) does not become significantly louder.
Background
This illustrates the principle of resonance. One tuning fork's frequency is a multiple of the natural frequency of the air column in the tube, while the other is not.
- Availability: Available
- References: http://www.physics.umd.edu/deptinfo/facilities/lecdem/services/refs/refsh.htm#H3-11
- Loc codes: H3
- Videos-1: http://www.physics.umd.edu/deptinfo/facilities/lecdem/services/demos/demosh3/h3-11.mpg
- Videos-2: http://www.physics.umd.edu/deptinfo/facilities/lecdem/services/demos/demosh3/h3-11a.mpg