Singing rod – How will holding position and

hitting position affect the produced sound

Project report

Introduction
Sound waves

Sound is a mechanical wave that can travel through gases, plasma, liquids and solid materials. Sound
waves are usually transmitted as longitudinal waves, also known as compression waves. However,
they can also be transmitted through solids as transverse waves. In a longitudinal wave, displacements
of particles of the medium are parallel to the direction of travel of the wave. Transverse waves are
waves of alternating shear stress perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the wave along the
medium. The simplest sound waves are sinusoidal waves, which have a definite frequency, amplitude,
and wavelength.
Sound waves can also be described as an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a medium, where
pressure fluctuates above and below atmospheric pressure, alternating pressure deviations, which
results in local regions of compression and rarefaction. Sound is composed of frequencies within the
range of hearing and a level strong enough to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in hearing organs
by vibration of matter in a medium. The human ear’s hearing range is from frequencies of about 20 to
20,000 Hz.
Wave velocity within solid
The velocities of mechanical wave propagation in the rod are given by the following equation
cw=elastic modulusmass density=Yρv
where Young’s modulus is a material constant, and the volume mass density of the rod is used instead
of mass density to give a more accurate velocity. Using this formula, the propagation velocity of a
wave travelling in different metals can be determined. The table below shows the Young’s moduli,
volume mass densities, and wave velocities of the materials of the rods used in our experiment at
room temperature.
Volume mass density
Material of rod Young’s modulus (N/m​2​) Velocity (m/s)
(kg/m​3​)
Aluminum 6.9 2700 5.0 x 10​3
Steel 20 x 10​10 7800 5.1 x 10​3
Copper 11 x 10​10 8900 3.5 x 10​3

Since the medium of wave propagation does not change, the wave velocity also remains the same and
a change in the wavelength of sound produced will result in a change in frequency, so the pitch of
sound heard is different when the rod is held differently. Frequency is inversely proportional to
wavelength, and pitch is directly proportional to frequency. A shorter wavelength leads to a higher
frequency and thus higher pitch heard, and likewise, a longer wavelength leads to a lower frequency
and a lower pitch heard.
Waves within the rod
The standing wave pattern in a solid rod is very much similar to that of an open pipe; both odd and
even harmonics are possible. Because particles at both ends are able to vibrate more freely the rest,
antinodes always occur at both ends of a rod. Holding the rod at different positions and hitting it can
create various wave patterns. The region being held between our fingers becomes a node as particles
in the rod are unable to vibrate due to damping from our fingers.
A change in hitting position can produce transverse waves in the rod. For example, if a rod is hit on
the side near the end of the rod, a higher pitch and a lower pitch can be heard. The lower pitch, caused
by the transverse waves, dies away faster than the higher pitch of the longitudinal waves. Since the
production of transverse waves in a rod is more complex and does not follow the same pattern as
longitudinal waves, our experiment focuses mainly on producing longitudinal waves.

Experiment 1: Effect of medium on velocity and frequency

Apparatus:
-Steel rod, aluminum rod, copper rod with length of 32 cm
- Hammer
Procedure:
● Tap the end of the aluminum rod while holding the rod at the
middle point
● Repeat with steel rod and copper rod

Results
Table 1: Experiment 2 – Part 1 Frequencies of Sound Produced By
Varying materials

Material Frequency (Hz)

Theoretical value of
Trial 1 Trial 2 Average
1​st​ harmonic
Aluminum 7753 7750 7752 7813
Steel 7694 7694 7694 7969
Copper 5312 5326 5319 5469

Experiment 2: Effect of holding and hitting position on frequency

Apparatus:
● Audacity (Computer software),
● Microphone,
● 32cm aluminum rods,
● Hammer
● Meter ruler,
● Markers
1. Keep hitting position ( at the top), change holding position:
a. Label ​12,14, 16,18​ point on the rod
b. The rod is hold vertically at the middle with two fingers and it is hit at the top using another
aluminum rod.
c. The sound is recorded with microphone and the frequency is analyzed by using the Audacity
on the computer.
d. Repeat the experiment
e. Repeat step b and c using the same metal rod by holding at position ​,14, 16,18

Results
Sample of obtained
result – hold at the middle and hit at the end

Table 2: Experiment 2 – Part 1 Frequency of

Sound Produced By Holding the Aluminum Rod at Various Positions

Holding Frequency/ Hz
position
Trial 1 Trial 2 Average Corresponding theoretical value
12 7753 7750 7752 1​st​ Harmonic: 7813
14 15517 15511 15514 2​nd​ Harmonic: 15626
16 15507 15504 15506 3​rd​: Harmonic: 23439
18 15502 15499 15501 4​th​ Harmonic: 31252

2. Keep the holding position at the middle and change hitting positions:
a. Label ​12,14,16, 18​ point on the rod
b. The rod is hold horizontally at the middle by two fingers and it is hit at position ​14​using
another aluminum rod.
c. The sound is recorded with microphone and the frequency is analyzed by using the
Audacity in the computer.
d. Repeat the experiment
e. Repeat step b and c using the same metal rod by hitting at position ​16, 18​ and at the end

Results
Table 3: Experiment 2 – Part 2 Frequency of
Sound Produced By Hitting the Aluminum Rod at Various Positions

Hitting position Frequency/ Hz

Trial 1 Trial 3 Trial 3
14 7293 7294 7294
16 9648 9686 9667
18 12167 12148 12158
At the end 12223 12250 12237

Conclusion
A
A
In experiment 1, the sound produced has fundamental frequency:
N
FIGURE 1: ​Displacement over distance graph of the fundamental frequency

The sound produced is a horizontal progressive wave with the first anti-node at the end hit by the
hammer. As the first particles in contact with the hammer will receive the kinetic energy from the
hammer and start their horizontal vibration for the original motion of the hammer is parallel to the
rod. In the middle of the rods, where the two fingers are placed, the particles will be compressed
greatly or overly damped; therefore, nodes are formed there. In contrast, the two ends of the rods are
open, so the particles will have maximum displacement, forming two anti-nodes. In brief, the
displacement over distance time graph of the sound wave produced in the rods will have the same
form as in Figure 1.
Percentage error:
Aluminium: 7752-78137813x 100%= -0.7808%
Stainless steel: 7694-76997699x100%= -0.06494%
Copper: 5319-54695469 x 100%= -2.743%
Thus, from the results and comparison of error percentage of the three different used in the
experiment, we observe that stainless steel will give us the least error percentage, next is aluminum,
and lastly copper. However, with three rods of the same length, the highest frequency produced, both
theoretically and empirically, is created by hitting Aluminum rod. Hence, as the error percentage is
indeed acceptable, 0.7808%, Aluminum is the most suitable material for the experiment for sound
with higher frequency would be easier to be detected by sound sensor, giving more accurate results.
Therefore, we used Aluminum for the second experiment in which different harmonics were studied
by varying the hitting positions and holding positions.
The sources of error may include the low soundproof of the experimental environment with external
sound having frequencies that destructively interfere with sound produced. Another possibility is
presence of impurity and relative uniformity of the rods used or the change in density of the rods,
which causes discrepancy between the calculated fundamental frequencies and their real theoretical
values.
A
A
A
In experiment 2, part 1 and part 2 are for the investigation of 2​nd​, 3​rd​ and 4​th​ harmonics.
N
N
​ ​ harmonic
2​nd​

N
N
N
A
A
A
A

​ ​ harmonic
3​rd​

N
N
N
N

A
A
A
A
A

​ ​ harmonic
4​th​

​ ​, 3​rd​
Figure 2: 2​nd​ ​ ​ and 4​th​
​ ​ harmonics of sound wave in the rods
Source:​http://image.wistatutor.com/content/feed/tvcs/Sound20waves20in20open20organ20pipe.JPG

Similar to the 1​st​ experiment, the positions where the rod is hit and held between the two fingers are
still the anti-nodes and nodes of the rods respectively, which explains the appearance of 2​nd​, 3​rd​ and 4​th
harmonics in experiment 2 as the holding and hitting positions changed to special positions studied.
Nevertheless, we can observe a great discrepancy between the experimental and theoretical values of
frequencies for the 3​rd​ and 4​th​ harmonics. One possible reason for this may originate from the
threshold frequency that can be recorded by the sound sensor used, which was the common
microphone. Take note that, our ears could only hear sound with frequencies as high as 20 kHz, so
microphone, the recording device, is usually designed so as to record sound in a certain range of
frequency, most likely from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Yet, there still might be defects for particular
microphones. Meanwhile, the frequencies of the 3​rd​ and 4​th​ harmonics have theoretically reached over
30 kHz, which are most likely unable to be sensed correctly by the device used. Furthermore, there are
probably other sound waves produced in the rod as the hammer’s motion is now perpendicular to the
rod. These waves, together with external sound, interfere with the main horizontal wave investigated
more destructively, resulting in a much lower frequency than expected.

Discussion:
● For future study on sound waves, we would like to continue to use aluminum, but
change the setting into a soundproof environment and improve results by using more
sensitive sound sensors as well as oscilloscope.
● Moreover, we would like to investigate how sound waves formed in musical
instruments, especially string ones where wave could be more observable.

Reference:
1. http://www.arborsci.com/Data_Sheets/Files/SingingRods.pdf
2. http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~scdiroff/lds/OscillationsWaves/StandingWavesinRod/Stan
dingWavesinRod.html
3. http://www.scitechpub.com/r/samples/9781891121920.pdf
4. http://www.exo.net/~pauld/summer_institute/summer_day11sound/ringing%20_Al_rod.
html
5. http://cnx.org/content/m12378/latest/
6. http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~scdiroff/lds/OscillationsWaves/OW.html
7. http://www.tutorvista.co.uk/content/physics/physics-iii/waves/transverse-and-longitudin
al-waves.php
8. http://physics-animations.com/Physics/English/wav_txt.htm
9. http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/microwaves/standing_wave2.html
 ​ ​ ed, Young and Geller
10. College Physics, 8​th​