TheLaboratory

OpenEndAirColumnLab
TeachersGuide Topic: SoundandMusic

Thefollowinginformationisprovidedtothestudent:

Question: Whatisthespeedofsound?(openendaircolumn)

Purpose: Todeterminethespeedofsoundusinganopenendaircolumn.

AcompletelabwriteupincludesaTitle,aPurpose,aDatasection,aConclusionandaDiscussionof Results.TheDatasectionshouldincludecollecteddata;datashouldbeorganizedandlabeled(a diagrammaybemoreusefulthanatable).Calculationsofspeedshouldbeorganized,labeledand clearlyshown.Fudgefactoradjustmentsforendeffects(bothends)shouldbemade;workshouldbe shownandlabeled.ClassdatashouldbeincludedintheDatasection.TheConclusionshouldrespond tothequestionraisedinthePurposesection(asalways).TheDiscussionofResultsshouldincludean erroranalysis.Thereliabilityoftheresultsshouldbeevaluatedbaseduponthetheoreticalvaluefor thespeedofsound.Apercenterrorcalculationshouldbeperformed;workshouldbeshownand labeled. MaterialsRequired: Tuningfork;tuningforkactivator;hollowtube(atleast30cminlength);digitalfunctiongenerator; speaker;meterstick;thermometer. DescriptionofProcedure: Aspeakerisconnectedtotheoutputofadigitalfunctiongeneratorsoastocreateasoundsourcewith anadjustablefrequencyandintensity.Thefrequencyoutputisadjustedtoaverylowpitch.Thehollow tubeisheldverticallyabovethespeakerwithoneofitsopenendsaninchorsoabovethespeaker.The intensityofthespeakerisloweredsothatitisjustbarelyaudible.Thefrequencyisslowlyincreasedand thesoundisobserved.Theincreaseinfrequencycontinues;asthefrequencyofthesourcebeginsto approachthenaturalfrequencyofthehollowtube,anoticeableincreaseinintensityisobserved.This increasereachesamaximumwhenthefrequencyofthespeakermatchesthenaturalfrequencyofthe columnofair.Toinsureanaccuratereadingoftheresonantfrequency,thefrequencyoutputisadjusted untiltheloudestsoundisobserved.Thetemperatureoftheroomismeasuredforthepurposeof calculatingatheoreticalvalueforthespeedofsound. AlternativeMaterialsandProcedure: Alternativematerialsandproceduresarenotrecommended. SafetyConcern: Thereisalwaysahigherthanusuallevelofriskassociatedwithworkinginasciencelab.Teachers shouldbeawareofthisandtakethenecessaryprecautionstoinsurethattheworkingenvironmentisas safeaspossible.Studenthorseplayandofftaskbehaviorsshouldnotbetolerated.

ThePhysicsClassroom,2009

TheLaboratory Suggestions,Precautions,Notes: 1. 2. 3. 4. Tuningforksshouldneverbestruckonhardsurfaces.Strikingitonorwithsoftrubberwill preservethefrequencyofthetuningfork.Alighttaponarubbershoesoleusuallysetsitinto vibration. Itispresumedthatthehollowtubeisforcedtoresonateatitsfundamentalfrequency. Thoughcostly,digitalfunctiongeneratorsareavailablefrommanysciencesupplyhouses.For instance,PascoScientificoffersthefollowingmodel:PI8127FunctionGenerator. Endeffectscausethevibrationalantinodetobelocatedjustbeyondtheopenendofthehollow tube.Theeffectivelengthoftheaircolumnislongerthanthemeasuredlengthbyanamountequal to4/10thsofthetube'sdiameter.Thiscorrectionfactormustbemadeforeachopenendand shouldbeincludedinthecalculationsinordertoimprovetheresults. Poolingclassresultsforthespeedofsoundisausefulmeansofallowinglabgroupstohave feedback.Italsocanbemadeintoalessononthenatureofscienceasacooperativeventure.

5.

AuxiliaryMaterials: None ScoringRubric: S5. OpenEndAirColumnLab Included,labeledandorganizedallpartsofthelabreport. Datasectionincludesadiagramwithorganizedandlabeleddata;unitsare shown.Workforspeedcalculationisshownandlabeled;adjustmentsfor endeffects(bothends)isshownandlabeled.Classdataisorganizedina table.Individualresultsarereasonablyaccurate(aftercorrectingforend effects). Conclusionstatestheexperimentallydeterminedspeedofsoundinair. DiscussionofResultsincludesawellwrittenerroranalysis;experimental valueforsoundspeediscomparedtothetheoreticalvalue.Apercenterror calculationisperformed;workisclearlyshownandlabeled. Score _____/_____

ConnectionstoThePhysicsClassroomTutorial: Thefollowingreadingisasuitableaccompanimenttothislab: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/sound/u11l5c.cfm ConnectionstoMindsonPhysicsInternetModules: Sublevels8and9oftheSoundandMusicmodulearesuitableaccompanimentstothislab: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mop/module.cfm

ThePhysicsClassroom,2009