Experiment 7: Velocity of Sound

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Abstract This experiment is about the velocity of sound. In this experiment there are three objectives, namely: to verify the relationship between frequency of sound and its wavelength, to determine the speed of sound by means of resonating air column, and to determine the velocity of sound in a solid using a vibrating rod. The results obtained show that various frequencies of tuning forks exhibit different speeds. Methodology This experiment made use of the following: a resonance tube apparatus, 2 tuning forks of different frequencies, a meter stick, a rubber mallet, a thermometer, a computer, a vernier microphone, and Kundts tube with its necessary accessories. The first activity involved the resonance tube apparatus, the two tuning forks and the thermometer. The activity started with the water being near the top of the resonance tube apparatus, and then a tuning fork was struck with the rubber mallet and was put over the top of the glass tube. The water vessel of the resonance tube apparatus was slowly lowered until the loudest sound was heard, and then the point where the sound was heard was marked. The distance between the point which was marked and the top of the glass tube was measured and was recorded as L, and then the diameter(D) of the resonance tube was measured, and lastly the wavelength of the sound produced was computed using the formula . These steps were repeated for two more times, and then using the computed average wavelength and the frequency engraved on the tuning fork, the velocity of sound in air inside the glass tube was computed using the formula . The temperature of the air inside the glass tube was then measured in degrees Celsius while making sure that the thermometer is not touching the water, and then the speed of sound in air at the measured temperature was computed using the equation . The percent error was then computed,

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