| Trial | Frequency f (Hz) | Length L (cm) | L (m) | 1/f (s) |
|---|
The resonance tube experiment is one of the most important practical methods for studying sound waves. When a tuning fork vibrates near the open end of the tube, the air column resonates whenever its length corresponds to one-quarter of the wavelength. This creates a strong increase in sound amplitude, making the resonance point easy to identify.
By measuring the air-column length for different tuning fork frequencies, we obtain a linear relationship between \(L\) and \(1/f\). The slope of this line represents \(v/4\), which allows us to calculate the speed of sound using: \[ v = 4m \] This graphical method provides high accuracy because it uses multiple readings and reduces the impact of random measurement errors.
This experiment helps students understand standing waves, resonance conditions, and how wave properties such as wavelength and frequency relate to measurable physical quantities. It also reinforces the importance of graphical analysis and how linear relationships can be used to extract fundamental physical constants such as the speed of sound.