NT

B8
AIM
To study the relation between frequency and length of a given wire
sonometer.
under constant
tension using a

MATERIAL REQUIRED
APPARATUS AND

tuning forks ot different (known) frequencies, a rubher

A sonometer, four pad, a hanger with
two wooden wedges with knife edges, a pair of scissors. lotted
half-kg weights,

THEORY
The frequency n of the fundamental mode of vibration of a stretched string is given h
by
1 T
11 2
where
m = mass per unit length of the string

1= length of the string between the two wedges

T Mg=tension in the string

M= total mass (including mass of the hanger) suspended from the string
For a given wire (m = constant) and fixed T,

nl constant
ne or

This is the law of length of a vibrating stretched string. Clearly, the graph ofn zs. willbe a straight line,

while the graph of n vs. 1 will be a rectangular hyperbola.

DIAGRAM
See Fig. 17.4 on page 173.

PROCEDURE
1. Place the sonometer on the table with its one end close to the edge of the table. See that its pulley is
frictionless and the hanger suspends freely without touching the table.
2. Place the two wedges with knife edges under the sonometer wire and place a load of 2 kg on the
hanger. See that the wire is properly stretched between the wedges and touches both of them. See that there
are no kinks in the wire.
3. Start with a small length (say, 10 cm) of the wire between the two wedges. With the help of a pair o
scissors, cut a piece of paper about 2 cm long and about 2 mm wide. Fold it into a V-shape. Place
this paper rider on the wire in the middle of the two
wedges.
4.
Take the tuning fork of the lowest frequency n,. Strike the free end of one
rubber pad to set it into vibrations. Press its stem against the sonometer box keeping the fors
of its prongs against
vertical. At the same time move one of the wedges outwards slowly, always keeping the rider on

the wire in the middle of the two wedges, till the rider begins to flutter.
 Chapter 17:
VIBRATIONS OF STRETCHED STRINGS
5. Again set the tuning fork into brations SONOMETER
the distance between wedges in small
the and press its
stem against the sonometer box and increa
a

quickly. In this position,asteps

rider falls off o steps till the wire is set into violent
e the wire vibrations and tne
the frequency of tne truning tork. Measure wire between the two wedges vibrates in resonance wIu
otre Scale and record it in the
metr the length of
observation table in the the wire between the two the
column
weage
ncrease the distance
6. Now increase
between the marked "Increasig
two
wire for resona
onance by slowly decreasing the wedges by about 2 cm. Again adjust
wire between tne two wedges in the distance between the wedges. Record trne
the length obfthe
mean of the two lengths which willobservation table in the column marked
frequency
be the resonant 'Decreasing. 1ake the
length () of the wire for the f
tu 5
*
7. Repeat steps 4 to 6 ith
three other tuning forks
order). Find the
product of of frequencies and n, (in asi
equal. frequency
na, n, the
products are nearly n and resonant
length I in each case and observe i'nedthese
tia
ORSERVATIONS AND CALCU LATIONS

For tension in the sonometer wire

Weight of hanger = 0.5 kg wt

Additional load on the hanger 2.0 kg wt =

Constant tension in the sonometer wire =

(0.5 +2.0) kg wt 2.5 kg wt
Table: Variation of
resonant length with frequency
Frequency of the Resonant length of the wire
distance between the when
S.No. tuning fork used
n (Hz)
iswedges Product nl
Increasing Decreasing Mean (Hz cm)
1.
cm crm) (Cm)
(cm)
4256 39.4 39.6 39.5
2 h 320 0.025 10112
3. 384
4. 4 512

From the last column of the

observation table, we find that the
experimental errors. This shows that product nl= constant, within the
n.
GRAPHS
We plot a
graph between frequency n
and resonating
length l, taking n along
X-axis and l along Y-axis. The
found to be a
graph is
rectangular hyperbola
shown in Fig. 17.5.
as

This shows that

n
Alternatively, we plot a graph between n (Hk)
"(H2)
nand1/1, taking nalong x-axis and 1/1
along yaxis. We get a straight line
graph as in Fig. 17.6.
Fig. 17.5 Variation of resonating Fig. 17.6 Variation of1/l with
This again shows that n o length with frequency n. frequency n.

175
RESULT
of a stretched string varies as tho
For agiven tension T and fixed m, the resonant length/of the transverse vibration of the reciprocal ofits
of
law of length ion of a stretchaal
stretched string,
frequency of vibration. This verifies the
PRECAUTIONS
area of cross-section, free from kinks and
om kinks and
1. The sonometer wire should be of uniform stretched
properly. or oil on it.
must be minimised by applying grease
2. Friction at the pulley
vibrated by striking either of its
prongs gently against a soft rubber
pad.
.

3. The tuning fork should be

against the top of the sonometer hou
should be gently pressed box in
4. The stem of the tuning fork
between the two wedges.
between the wedges so that
5. The observations should be
started with minimum
distance at the
to the fundamental mode
of vibration of the string.
resonance observed corresponds
first slowly increasing the distance between
6. The position should be obtained by
resonance
the distance. The mean of the two distances should he ta ken
wedges and then by slowly decreasing
as the resonance length.
that the positions of the nodes are well defined and
7. The wedges used should have sharp edges so

the resonance length can be measured with greater accuracy.

in the load applied on the sonometer wire.
8. The weight of the hanger should be included
maximum load one-third of breakine
wire should not exceed its elastic limit. Take
=

9. Loading of the
load.
10. Load should be removed after completing the experiment as otherwise the wire may develop elastic
fatigue.
SoURCES OF ERROR
1. The wire may not be perfectly flexible and of uniform cross-section.

2. Pulley may not be frictionless. In that case, the tension in the wire will be less than the actual load
applied.
3. Wedges may not be sharp.
4. The support of wire may not be rigid. Slight error may occur due to yielding of the support.
5.
5. Error may occur in the measurement of resonance length. There is always an uncertainty in setting
the wedges in final adjustment.