PHY12

PROBLEM SET / WAVE MOTION

November 2014

1. A guitar string has a linear density of 8.30x 10–4 kg/m. The length of the string is 0.660 m. The tension in the
string is 52 N. When the fundamental frequency of the string is sounded with a tuning fork of frequency 196 Hz,
what beat frequency is heard?

2. A railroad train is travelling at 30 m/s in still air. The frequency of the note emitted by the train whistle is 1000
Hz. What frequency is heard by a passenger on a train moving in the opposite direction to the first at 20 m/s and
(a) approaching the first; and (b) receding from the first? Temperature of air is 37°C.

3. A tube is open only at one end. A certain harmonic produced by the tube has a frequency of 450 Hz. The next
higher harmonic has a frequency of 750 Hz. The temperature of air is 38°C. (a) What is the integer n that
describes the harmonic whose frequency is 450 Hz? Show complete solution in finding the integer n. (b) What
is the length of the tube?

4. A circus performer stretches a tightrope between two towers. He strikes one end of the rope and sends a wave
along it toward the other tower. He notes that it takes 0.8 s for the wave to travel the 20 m to the opposite tower.
If one meter of the rope has a mass of 0.35 kg, find the tension in the tightrope.

5. The “A” string of a guitar is made of steel (ρ = 7860 kg/m 3), 80 cm long and has a diameter of 0.8 mm and its
fundamental frequency is 512Hz. Determine (a)linear mass density (b) the string’s tension.

JUNE 2011

1. An explosion occurs at the end of a pier. The sound reaches the other end of the pier by traveling through three
media: air, fresh water and a slender metal handrail. The speeds of sound in air, fresh water and handrail are
343, 1482, and 5040 m/s, respectively. The sound travels a distance of 125 m in each medium. Through which
medium does the sound arrive first?

2. Two out of tune flutes play the same note. One produces a tone that has a frequency of 262 Hz, while the other
produces 266 Hz. When a tuning fork is sounded together with the 262-Hz tone, a beat frequency of 1 Hz is
produced. When the same tuning fork is sounded together with the 266-Hz tone, a beat frequency of 3 Hz is
produced. What is the frequency of the tuning fork?

3. The A string on a string bass vibrates at a fundamental frequency of 45 Hz. If the string’s tension were increased
by a factor of four, what would be the new fundamental frequency?

4. A person hums into the top of a well and finds that standing waves are established at frequencies of 42, 70 and
98 Hz. The frequency of 42 Hz is not necessarily the fundamental frequency. How deep is the well? The
temperature of air is 37C.

5. The security alarm on a parked car goes off and produces a frequency of 1000 Hz. As you drive toward this parked
car, pass it, and drive away, you observe the frequency to change by 100 Hz. The temperature of air is 30C. At
what speed are you driving?