DULAY, Anthony Mark V.

anthonydulay0431@gmail.com

E304: Transverse Wave: Frequency of Vibration

METHODOLOGY
PartA. Setting up the experiment

With the help of the instructor of the class,
the group set up the experiment. They
attached the sine wave generator and string
vibrator at the upper part of the iron stand,
and connect each other using banana patch
cords and to turn it on power supply was
connected.(See figure 1)

PartB. Determining the Frequency of
Vibration (constant linear mass density)

In this part, the instructor assigned the
group to use the string with a diameter of
0.017 in and tied it on the end of the string
vibrator and the other end passed over a
pulley with a mass hanger, they make sure
that the sting vibrator and pulley are of the
same level. As the group started, the total
mass at the end of the string was 55 grams
and some members observed the string and
adjust the frequency and amplitude so that
the segments could be clearly seen by their
eyes. When it comes to minimizing the
percentage error of the data, the group
disregard the first segment near the stylus
and measured the length of the string. With
the use of the data obtained in the
experiment the group computed for the
average experimental value of frequency
(equation 1) of vibration and compared it to
the actual value which is declared on the sine
wave generator to determine the percentage
error. They repeated the procedure by
adding 10 grams on the mass hanger.
=

Equation 1. Experimental Value of Frequency
PartC. Determining the frequency of
Vibration (variable linear mass density)

Same procedure was used just like on the
part B, but in this part the mass or the
tension on the string was constant and
different strings with different diameter were
used and the data obtained was used to
compute for the experimental value of

frequency and compared it to the actual
value of the frequency declared on the sine
wave generator.

Figure 1 Sine wave generator and string
vibrator mounted on iron stand


Figure 2. Set up of the experiment 304 (some of
the materials were not clearly seen because of
its sizes, like the string and the added mass)
A. Banana patch cords Connect the
sine wave generator and string
vibrator.
B. Sine wave generator- determine the
actual value of frequency. With this
amplitude and frequency can be
adjusted
C. String Vibrator- generates the waves
D. String- the main material in the
experiment. It is measured while it is
vibrated and determine the number of
its segments
E. Iron stand- place where sine wave
generator, string vibrator and pulley
were mounted.
F. Pulley the string pass over this so
that friction could not affect.
G. Mass hanger with weight- use as the
tension
H. Meter Stick- Use to measure the
segments of the string.








DATA AND RESULTS

Let:
D=diameter T=Tension n=number of segments
= L=Length f=frequency
Part 1
Trial T n L f
1 53900
dynes
5 60 cm 91.41
Hz
2 63700
dynes
5 64 cm 93.16
Hz
3 73500
dynes
5 65 cm 98.50
Hz
4 83300
dynes
6 68 cm 120.30
Hz
5 93100
dynes
5 70 cm 102.97
Hz
Average frequency of vibration 101.28
Hz
Actual value of frequency of
vibration
108 Hz
% error 6.23 %

Part 2
T
R
I
A
L
D T n L f
1 0.01
in
0.0039
g/cm
53900
dynes
2 44 cm 122.17
Hz
2 0.014
in
0.0078
g/cm
53900
dynes
2 42.5 cm 89.44
Hz
3 0.017
in
0.0112
g/cm
53900
dynes
3 45 cm 105.74
Hz
4 0.020
in
0.0150
g/cm
53900
dynes
4 52 cm 105.43
Hz
5 0.022
in
0.0184
g/cm
53900
dynes
4 49 cm 101.02
Hz
Average frequency of vibration 104.76
Hz
Actual value of frequency of vibration 110 Hz
% error 4.76%
A
C
E
F
B
G
H
D
Table 1 Shows the relationship of the frequency of
vibration with constant linear mass density and
different tension. Tension is directly proportional to
the wavelength and to its frequency


SAMPLE COMPUTATION

Part 1
Given:
= 93 100
= 5
= 70
= 0.112

= 0.017 .
:
=

=
5
2(70)

93100
0.0112 /
= 102.97
% =
|

()
|

100%


=
|108 101.28|
108
100%

= 6.03%

Part 2
Given:
= 53 900
= 6
= 67
= 0.0078 /
= 0.017 .
Solution:
=

=
6
2(67)

53900
0.0078 /
= 117.7
% =
|

()
|

100%

=
|118 112|
118
100%

= 4.8337%


DISCUSSION

Since this experiment doesnt involve
temperature, we expect that the value of
percentage error will be lessen unlike on our
previous experiments.

When it comes to the setup of the
experiment, we dont have a hard time for it,
actually our group was very satisfied on what
we see while we turn on the power supply, it
gives us almost perfect wave vibration and
we dont need to adjust the distance between
the two iron stand, but while gathering the
data, counting and measuring the segments
were not clear for our group on which view
should we do it. As we observed, both top
and side view produced a wave with certain
number of segments, since we saw that the
waves on the top view are more visible than
that on the side view we attempted to
measure one segment of the wave and
Table 2 Shows the relationship of the frequency
of vibration with constant tension and different
linear mass density.
Figure 3 String at the end of string vibrator
passes on the pulley
computed the experimental value of
frequency but its gives us almost 80% of
percentage error so we decided to take
another trial but this time consider all the
segments except for the first one, and as we
did it and computed the experimental value
and compared it to the actual value it gives
us 6.23 percentage error. Another sources of
error were not accurate of measurement of
the length because we cannot measure it
near the string for it will affect the movement
of segments. Maybe if the experiment
require bigger string with bigger radius used
in the experiment so that waves can be seen
clearly we might get it easier.

In the first part of the experiment with same
diameter of the string used with different
mass at the end of the string based from
what we have gathered that satisfies a
theory, as we added mass, the length of the
wave gets longer, thus wavelength is directly
proportional to its mass.

In the second part of the experiment, it
doesnt show any proportionality to the
diameter of the wire. Even we have same
mass at the end of the string the frequency
that is shows doesnt gives us any pattern
but the idea from the equation 1 was
satisfied.

CONCLUSION

Transverse waves are waves in which the
particles move up and down perpendicular to
the direction of wave motion. Based on the
data that we have gathered from the
experiment on the table 1, that the mass
added or the tension on the string is directly
proportional to the frequency and to its
wavelength. The number of segments
doesnt matter since its just like getting the
average of its length when we substitute the
value to the formula. However, table 2 shows
how the size or the diameter of the string,
and its linear mass density affect the
frequency and number of segments. Based
from what we have gathered, it seems that
there is no consistency on the number of
segments and to its frequency, but as I
observe the result if you will remove the trial
three I can conclude that as linear mass
density increases, the number of segments
also increases and its frequency decreases,
thus linear mass density is directly
proportional to the number of segments and
inversely proportional to frequency.


ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This laboratory report is made better with
some references that my friends let me
borrowed but before that I want to thank our
very patient professor for guiding us in
gathering the data and for waiting for our
final results until the end of our time. And
also to my group mates who are always
ready to take many trials of our experiment
just to correct some of our errors and to my
friends who gave me some good references
for the discussion and conclusion of my
laboratory report.

REFERENCE:

[1] Padua, A., Practical and Explorational
Physics, 2003
[2] Salmorin, Florido, Physics, 2010


Figure 4 Mass Hanger showing a constant
mass that has been used in part 1 of the
experiment