Oscillations and Waves > Standing Waves DCS# 3B22.10

STANDING WAVES ON A STRING


APPARATUS
Pasco driver 202-17-A3
Pasco function generator/amplifier 202-17-A3
4 m of black nylon string 202-02-C3
50-g weight hanger 101-05-C1
50 g mass 101-05-C
hook 202-01-C5
pulley 202-01-C5

DESCRIPTION
Predict wave speed from tension and linear density of string:  v = √(FT/μ).
Set driver frequency to obtain standing waves.  Determine wavelength from distance between nodes.  Calculate wave speed, v = fλ. 

Set the frequency so that
λ= L, and there are two loops.  Show that quadrupling the weight doubles the wavespeed and therefore the wavelength.   One fourth the weight halves the wavelength. 

NOTES

Linear density, μ = 1.28 g/m for nylon string, 0.272 g/m for Dacron string.