Nichole Abla

Partner: Brice McKinnon

Vibrating String Lab
Physics 211
Wednesday 7:00-9:00
Due: November, 14 2012

Abstract:
In this experiment, the relationship between frequency, tension, wavelength, and speed of
standing waves of a vibrating string is studied by using a vibrator to create standing waves
patterns traveling through a string. The experimental frequency was determined and then
compared to the actual frequency of 60 Hz created by the wall current. To do this, certain
combinations of distance between the two fixed ends of the sting, the string mass density, and the
tension experienced by the string can be created in order to produce standing waves, which
allows the wavelength to be measured, which when plotted versus the tension required by the
string gives a slope with which the frequency can be determined. The frequency of Strings A and
B, linear mass density of 0.0008 kg/m and 0.001133 kg/m respectively, were 58.0248 Hz and
57.621 Hz respectively. These values had a 3.292% and 3.966% difference respectively from
the actual frequency of 60 Hz from the wall current. These discrepancies could be due to
measuring errors, and the fact that the mass increments were not small enough to create the

absolute maximum amplitude of the standing wave with which true complete constructive and
destructive interference is experienced by the string, affecting the results.
Introduction:
A wave is defined as a disturbance of a medium which oscillates periodically with a
constant frequency and wavelength. Electromagnetic waves do not require a medium to travel
through, and thus can exist in a vacuum. Mechanical waves require a medium to travel through,
such as air, water, or a string. Common waves experienced in day-to-day life including waves of
the ocean, sound, light, etc. are all examples of mechanical waves. Waves are also a means of
energy transfer.
Waves can appear to be moving or stationary. This lab will focus on waves that appear
stationary, called standing waves, of a vibrating string. As the string is between two fixed ends is
vibrated, a constant wave signal travels along the string, hits the opposite fixed end, and reflects
back to its original starting point. So at any given time, the shape of the string is actually a
combination of waves traveling from the initial point and reflected waves. But, under certain
conditions, the initial waves and the reflecting waves can combine to produce standing waves,
which appear to be stationary. Standing waves are created when the initial waves and the
reflected waves have complete constructive interference at some points, called antinodes, and
have complete destructive interference at other points, called nodes. When standing waves are
created, the distance between the two fixed ends of the string are exact integer multiples of half
the wavelength of the waves created. Therefore, the distance between the two fixed ends (L) of
the wave can be described mathematically:
2
[1
L=
]
n
Where is the wavelength and n is the number of standing waves produced. Nodes and
antinodes alternate in position relative to one another. The distance (D) between two successive
nodes or two successive antinodes is equal to:

[2
D=
2
]
The speed (v) of the pulse of the wave traveling through the string can be described
mathematically by the following:
F
[3
v=

Where F is the tension experienced by the string and is the linear mass density of the string.
The velocity of the wave can also be defined as the following:
[4
v =f
]

Where f is the frequency of the wave and is the wavelength. Equations 3 and 4 can be
combined and manipulated to define frequency as the following:

f=

[5
]

In this lab, certain combinations of distance between the two fixed ends of the sting, the string
mass density, and the tension experienced by the string can be created in order to produce
standing waves, which allows the wavelength to be measured. But, because physically
measuring the wavelength would create a large source of uncertainty, frequency can be defined
independently of wavelength by combining equation 6 with equation 1:
F
n
[6

f=
]
2L

Using the measured length of the string between the two fixed ends, tension in the string, the
number of standing waves created, and linear mass density of the string, the experimental
frequency can be calculated and compared to the frequency of the vibrator.
Apparatus:

Pulley

Vibrating String
Node

Vibrator

Masses
Mass Holder

Figure 1: Side View of Apparatus of Vibrating String

Procedure:
First, cut a string approximately 1 meter long, and record the mass and the length. From
that, calculate the linear mass density (). Attach the vibrator on to the ring stand and attach the
pulley to the end of the desk opposite the ring stand. Tie one end of the string to metal strip
(through the hole at the end). Run the string through the pulley and allow it to hang over the
edge of the table. Tie a loop on the free end of the string and hang the mass holder on the loop
on the end of the string. Measure the length between the end of the vibrator where the string is
attached and the center of the pulley.
Turn the vibrator on and add mass to the mass holder to increase the tension in the string
until a stable vibration of one or two loops is created. Once a stable standing wave is created,
add mass in small increments to obtain the maximum amplitude. Measure the distance between
two successive nodes in the string. Do not use the loop nearest the vibrator. Record the weight
that is used to create the maximum amplitude, the total number of loops created by the vibrating
string, and the distance between the nodes of the standing waves. Following the same process,
change the weight on the weight hanger to create four different number of loop configurations,
recording the same values as described above. Then, remove the string from the metal strip of
the vibrator.
Cut a string approximately 2 meters long, and record the mass and length, then calculate
the linear mass density. Double the string tie one end of the string to metal strip (through the
hole at the end). Run the string through the pulley and allow it to hang over the edge of the
table. Tie a loop on the free end of the string and hang the mass holder on the loop on the end of
the string. Repeating the same process as described above, repeat all measurements for the string
with a new linear mass density. In total, there should be measurements for 4 wave configurations
for each string for a total of 8 sets of measurements.
Results/Analysis/Physics:
String A Mass Density: 0.0008 kg/m
String B Mass Density: 0.001133 kg/m
Table 1: Data for String A and B
String

Number
of Loops

A
A
A
A
B
B

2
3
4
1
3
6

Frequency
(vibrator)
(s-1)
60
60
60
60
60
60

Wavelength
(measured)
(m)
0.682
0.454666667
0.4075
0.75
0.603333333
0.396666667

Frequency
(calculated)
(s-1)
63.9250365
59.6584574
63.7299007
57.1839138
63.6740424
62.1467748

String
Length
(m)
0.682
0.682
0.815
0.375
0.905
1.19

Weight
(kg)

Tension
(N)

Wavelength2
(m)

Speed
(m/s)

0.155
0.06
0.055
0.15
0.17
0.07

1.52055
0.5886
0.53955
1.4715
1.6677
0.6867

0.465124
0.206721778
0.16605625
0.5625
0.364011111
0.157344444

43.59687
27.12471
25.96993
42.88794
38.36578
24.6189

B
B

2
5

60
60

0.898
0.4348

58.6940306
61.7368963

0.898
1.087

0.32
0.083

3.1392
0.81423

0.806404
0.18905104

52.63741
26.80764

60 Hz is the current which the vibrator experiences, so theoretically, the waves created by
the vibration of the string should also have a frequency of 60 Hz. This theory was tested by
manipulating conditions (the length between the two fixed ends of the string, the linear mass
density of the string, and the tension experienced by the string) such that different numbers of
standing waves were created, making it easier to obtain the values necessary for determining the
experimental frequency. When the vibrator is turned on, it transfers kinetic energy to the string
which can be observed by a wave traveling through the string. Because the string is between two
fixed ends, a constant wave signal travels along the string, hits the opposite fixed end, and
reflects back to its original starting point. So at any given time, the shape of the string is actually
a combination of waves traveling from the initial point and reflected waves. The length between
the two fixed ends of the string, the linear mass density of the string, and the tension experienced
by the string were adjusted in such a way that standing waves were created. At certain points,
the initial waves and the reflected waves have complete constructive interference at some points,
called antinodes, and have complete destructive interference at other points, called nodes which
creates the appearance of a stationary wave.
As the number of loops increased (n), the wavelength decreased, which is consistent with
equation 1. As wavelength increased (), speed increased (v), and frequency (f) decreased which
is consistent with the inverse linear relationship between wavelength and frequency and the
direct linear relationship between speed and wavelength described in equation 4. As the
wavelength increased, the amount of force required to create a standing wave also increased.
This is consistent with equation 5, because although there are many changing variables, the
string in every situation is experiencing a constant frequency because the vibrator experiences a
constant current of 60 Hz. So for this reason, if the wavelength increases, the force must also
increase in order to maintain a constant frequency.

Wavelength2 vs. Tension

3.5
3

f(x) = 3.76x + 0.15

R = 0.99

2.5
2
Tension (N)

String A
Linear (String A)

1.5

f(x) = 2.69x + 0.09

R = 0.94

String B
Linear (String B)

0.5
0
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9
Wavelength2 (m2)

Figure 2: Plot of the square of wavelength vs. the tension experienced by the string

When the square of the wavelength of a standing wave is plotted against the tension
required by the string to create a standing wave pattern, the resulting slop is equal to:
f=

According to equation 5,

2
T .

, so by dividing the slope by the linear mass density of the

string, the square root of the resulting value is equal to the frequency. So graphically,
f=

slope
. Based on Figure 2, the frequency of the wave traveling through string A (linear

mass density of 0.0008 kg/m) is equal to 58.0248 Hz which has a 3.292% difference from the
actual frequency of 60 Hz from the wall current. The frequency of the wave traveling through
string B (linear mass density of 0.001133) is equal to 57.621 which has a 3.966% difference from
the actual frequency of 60 Hz from the wall current.
Calculations:

Wavelength of Standing Wave

2L
20.682 m
=
=0.682 m
of loops
2

Applied Force by Mass on the Hanger for String A Trial 1

mg=9.81 N0.155 k g=3.335 N

Experimental Frequency for Sting A

slope of grap h
2.6935
=
=58.0245 s1

0.0008

Speed of Wave in Trial 1 for String A

F
9.810.155
m
v=
=
=43.59687

0.0008
s

Percent Difference for Experimental and Actual Frequency for Sting A

|60 s158.0245 s1|

1

60 s

100=3.29

Questions:
1. See Table 1
2. This graph is appropriate for this experiment because tension was measured directly, and
the values for the square of the wavelength were measured directly, therefore all values
obtained during the experiment are graphically represented. Based on Figure 2, the
frequency of the wave traveling through string A (linear mass density of 0.0008 kg/m) is
equal to 58.0248 Hz which has a 3.292% difference from the actual frequency of 60 Hz
from the wall current. The frequency of the wave traveling through string B (linear mass
density of 0.001133) is equal to 57.621 which has a 3.966% difference from the actual
frequency of 60 Hz from the wall current.
3. The speed of the waves can be seen in Table 1. When the vibrator is turned on, it
transfers kinetic energy to the string which can be observed by a wave traveling through
the string. Because the string is between two fixed ends, a constant wave signal travels
along the string, hits the opposite fixed end, and reflects back to its original starting point.
So at any given time, the shape of the string is actually a combination of waves traveling
from the initial point and reflected waves. Under certain conditions, the initial waves and
the reflected waves have complete constructive interference at some points, called
antinodes, and have complete destructive interference at other points, called nodes which
create the appearance of a stationary wave.
Conclusion:
In this experiment, the relationship between frequency, tension, wavelength, and speed of
standing waves of a vibrating string is studied. To do this, a string was attached to a vibrator on
one end and a mass system on the other (running over a pulley in between). As the vibrator
vibrated the string, the length between the two fixed ends of the string (the vibrator and the
pulley) and the tension experienced by the string (changed by adding various amounts of mass to

the mass system) were altered in such a way that a standing wave pattern was produced. The
experimental frequency was determined and then compared to the actual frequency of 60 Hz
created by the wall current. Standing wave patterns were created so that measurements
necessary to calculate wavelength could be measured. When the square of the wavelength was
plotted versus the tension required by the string, the slope of the best fit line can be used to
determine the frequency.
The frequency of Strings A and B, linear mass density of 0.0008 kg/m and 0.001133 kg/m
respectively, were 58.0248 Hz and 57.621 Hz respectively. These values had a 3.292% and
3.966% difference respectively from the actual frequency of 60 Hz from the wall current. These
discrepancies could be due to measuring errors, and the fact that the mass increments were not
small enough to create the absolute maximum amplitude of the standing wave with which true
complete constructive and destructive interference is experienced by the string, affecting the
results.
These results and concepts are very applicable to the real world. Waves are very present
in everyday life, in the form of ocean waves, sound waves, and light waves to name a few
examples. These waves are all examples of mechanical waves must travel through a medium.
Ocean waves travel through water and sound and light waves travel through air. The wave
traveling through the string in this experiment is also considered a mechanical wave, the string
being the medium it travels through.
References:
1. J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics, 9th Edition, pp 58-68, (John Wiley & Son, New York
1975).