Vibrations of strings (sonometer) and harmonics
Wave motion · Physics
Transverse wave
Interactive 3DA travelling wave ribbon. Raise the amplitude to make it taller, the frequency to make it faster.
Controls
Drag the sliders or type a value — the simulation updates live.
m
0.1m1m
Hz
0.5Hz3Hz
Study notes
A sonometer wire of length 0.60 m and mass per unit length 1.2 g/m is stretched with a tension of 108 N. Find (a) the speed of transverse waves on the wire, (b) the fundamental frequency, (c) the frequency of the third harmonic. Solution: mu = 1.2 g/m = 0.0012 kg/m. (a) v = sqrt(T/mu) = sqrt(108/0.0012) = sqrt(90000) = 300 m/s. (b) f1 = v/(2L) = 300/(2 x 0.60) = 300/1.2 = 250 Hz. (c) f3 = 3 f1 = 750 Hz.