PA1900 Lab Experiment 1

Modes of Vibration

Adli Abdoh

Partner:

Date performed: October 21, 2014 and October 23, 2014

TA: Emma L.

Abstract

Insert abstract here

Part 1
We start with setting up the experiment as shown in the image
below. Next the task was to measure the fundamental frequency of
the wire corresponding to a maximum tension experienced (by the
use of a 1000g weight).

Fundamental frequency occurs at f = 54.00 0.01 Hz

The next task was to determine the linear mass density of the wire.
This can be done when we considered the equation given:

n =
T 1
vn

n= wavelengthof vibration
Where T = tension of the wire
linear mass density of thewire
= v n=
frequency of the vibrationthe wire

We decided to calculate the mass density of the wire by rearranging

the equation above to become:

T =n2 v n2

From the equation above we decided to observe how the

wavelength changes as we decreased the tension in the string,
keeping the frequency of the vibration constant. Once we obtain the
values for the wavelengths, we plotted the graph of tension against
wavelength squared to get a straight-line graph, shown below:

The gradient of the graph will be n2 and since we know the

value of the wavelength, we can easily calculate the linear mass
density.

Table 1
Wavelength
Load Length of
Tension/N , n2 /m2
Mass/kg wire/m
/m
1.00 9.18 1.00 2.00 4.00
0.90 8.83 0.97 1.94 3.76
0.80 7.85 0.90 1.80 3.24
0.70 6.87 0.86 1.72 2.96
 0.60 5.89 0.78 1.56 2.43
0.50 4.91 0.72 1.44 2.07
0.40 3.92 0.65 1.30 1.69
0.30 2.94 0.56 1.12 1.25
0.20 1.96 0.47 0.94 0.88
0.10 0.98 0.34 0.68 0.46

From the graph above, we can calculate using R that the gradient of
the line is 0.04069626

n2 =0.04069626

We already know that the fundamental frequency of the wire is 54

Hz, this means that the linear mass density is:

0.04069626 0.041
=
n2 54.002

=1.41 105 kg m1

Part 2.

Note that the next part of this experiment was done on a different
day, at a different table from the first part. This contributes to a
significant amount of uncertainties, in particular, the type of wire
will determine the