III.

ANALYSIS
Sound moves by unlikely speeds depending on medium it travels
through. Of the three mediums (solid, liquid, and gas) sound waves travel
the slowest through gases, faster through liquids, and fastest through solids.
It travels fastest through solid since its molecules are much bonded together
compared to liquid and gas. Temperature also affects the speed of sound.
When a person hits, strikes, strums, plucks or somehow disturbs the
object, musical instruments are set into vibration motion at their natural
frequency. Each natural frequency of the object is associated with one of
the many standing wave patterns by which that object could vibrate.
The natural frequencies of a musical instrument are sometimes referred to as
the harmonics of the instrument. An instrument can be forced into
vibrating at one of its harmonics (with one of its standing wave patterns) if
another interconnected object pushes it with one of those frequencies.
This is known as resonance, when one object vibrating at the same
natural frequency of a second object forces that second object into
vibrational motion.
Kundts tube was invented in 1866 by German physicist August Kundt
for determining the speed of sound through different mediums. It is used
representing standing waves and acoustical forces today. The tube has little
quantity of fine powder such as cork dust, talc or Lycopodium (Lycopodium
was used in this experiment), which is visible since the tube is transparent.
Kundts utilized metal rod resonator for vibration before, but modern
demonstration generally use a loudspeaker attached to a signal generator
which produce a sine wave. The other end of the tube is enclosing by a

changeable piston which can be used to adjust the length of the tube. Thus
the velocity of any wave is given by:
v=f
where: v is the velocity, f is the frequency, is the wave length
The tube signifies that is at resonance when the sound generator is
turned on and changed in anticipation of the sound gets much loader. This
indicates that the tube is at resonance. The distance of the round-trip path of
the sound waves, from one end of the tube to the other and back again, is a
multiple of the wavelength of the sound waves. Hence, the length of the
tube is a multiple of half a wavelength. The sound waves in the tube are in
the form of standing waves, and the amplitude of vibrations of air is zero at
equally spaced intervals along the tube, called the nodes. The powder is
caught up in the moving air and settles in little piles or lines at these nodes,
because the air is still and calm there. The distance between the piles is one
half-wavelength /2 of the sound. By measuring the distance between the
piles, the wavelength of the sound in air can be found. If the frequency f of
the sound is known, multiplying it by the wavelength gives the speed of
sound c in air. The speed of sound in air can be determined by measuring the
air temperature t in Celsius degree:
v air

= 332 m/s + 0.6(t)

where: v air is the velocity in air, t is the temperature in Celsius

The frequency of the sound in the air is the same as that in the metal
rod f rod , that is f air = f rod . Thus, this frequency can be used to calculate
the speed of wave in metal given by

vr

r
= va L
a

where: v r is the velocity of the rod, v a is the velocity of air, Lr

is the length of rod, and La average length of powder segment
The velocity of sound in a solid rod is given by

vr

where: v r

is velocity of the rod, Y is the Youngs modulus of the

rod, is the density of the rod

In this experiment Kundts Tube Apparatus, a meter stick, a piece of
cloth, a thermometer, rosin and Lycopodium powder will be used. The
Kundts tube consists of a long, narrow glass tube mounted in a metal frame
case. A metal rod (any desired material) is clamped in such a way that its end
containing the disk is inside the tube. The rod can be clamped at any
distance. However, it is better to clamp it at the center to make the
experiment not complicated. The Kundts tube is closed at one end by a
stopper.

(Materials Used)

The first picture shows the rod is pulled toward the end of the rod to
produce vibration.

The photo above shows that we measures the distance of successive

powder heaps. All the lengths needed in this experiment are measured using
the meter stick. A low accuracy instrument is just fit with the experiment
because it is not important to measure accurate lengths. Finally,
thermometers are the instrument used in measuring the temperature of the
room. Normally, we have to put the powder inside the glass tube. But in the
experiment, it is already prepared by the laboratory assistants to prevent
waste of materials.

The powder is evenly distributed throughout the tube. It is done to

make the wave visible later, that is in similar shapes and sizes. The kind of
material where the rod is made is to be recorded. The value of the constants,
Y and , for the specific material used are obtained using any form of
resources. Furthermore, the length of the tube is to be measured using a
meter stick. We carefully adjusted if the rod is clamped horizontally at its
center. This allows the experiment performer to easily calculate the value of
velocity of the rod. The rod has a disk at its one end inside the tube. This
disk has not to touch the walls of the glass tube. It must be leave free to
vibrate. Also, it should be necessary to measure and record the temperature
of the room, inside the tube or near the apparatus itself.
After the preliminary assessment of the apparatus, we proceed on
vibrating the rod. The rosin is initially rubbed on the cloth. The rosin allows
the cloth to produce friction with the tube. The energy due to friction will
serves as a wave. Strokes on the rod are done after wards. It is ideal to do
smooth, high-pitch tone stroke in a lengthwise manner. It is important not to
let the hand slip off at end of the rod. This is because, it causes both ends of
the rod to vibrate transversely, and the vibrating disk may break the glass
tube.
When the dust inside the tube does not form visible waves, it is
advised to adjust the air column by moving it towards the tube in a minimal
distance. Continual adjustment can be made until best resonance condition is
achieved. This happens when dust agitated formed perfect waves which are
measurable and looks exactly the same from one another. When the rod gets
warmed greatly, we could cease the stroking and let it cool for a while.
Another problem encountered in this experiment is when one observed that
majority of the dust is concentrating on one side of the node. This can be due

to the apparatus is not oriented horizontally. We can minimize this problem

by removing some dust.
Once the visible waves formed, we proceed on measuring the length
of the waves (wavelength). On measuring, the first dust loop nearest to the
disk of the rod is neglected. It is an option to measure one, two, three or any
number of waves desired. However, it is more accurate to measure many
waves. From the measured distance, we determined the average half
wavelength of the sound in air column,

La , by dividing it to the total

number of loops or segments measured. We calculate for the velocity of

sound in air at the temperature recorded earlier. Once done, solve for the
value of the

v r . From the table of velocity of sound in solid in the

textbook, we compared the obtained experimental value with the theoretical

value.
In the experiment, the group had accomplished the objective of the
experiment which determine the velocity of sound in metal rod and
determine the speed of sound in the tube applying the principles of
resonance. The wave produced in Kundt's tube follows the wave behavior of
the close type case. In vibrating the rod, energy comes from the friction
produced by stroking cloth at the rod. To produce friction, rosin is rubbed in
the cloth. The waves produced inside after vibration is visibly seen through
agitation of Lycopodium powder.

Table 1. Kundts Tube: Velocity of Sound in Solid

Length of metal rod Lr
91.5
Average length of powder segments
8.75

cm
cm

La

Temperature of air t
Velocity of Sound in air v a
Velocity of sound in the rod

22
345.2
3609.81

C
m/s
m/s

Velocity of sound in the rod

3475

m/s

Percentage Error %
Density of the rod
Velocity of sound in the rod

3.88
8440
3283.59

%
kg/m^3
m/s

Percentage Error %

5.51

vr
vr

vr

Based on the table above, the velocity of sound produce in the rod can
be computed using equation the equation:

vr

va

Lr
La

since the

frequency of the sound in the air is the same as that in the metal rod. The
velocity of sound computed can be obtained using the equation:

vr

using young's modulus and density of the rod. Possible error

encountered in this experiment is when the majority of the dust is

concentrating on one side of the node. This can be due to the apparatus is not
oriented horizontally.

IV. CONCLUSION
The second type of mechanical wave which longitudinal waves were
the velocity of the wave is parallel to the movement of particle. An example
of longitudinal wave is sound wave. For this experiment, the velocity of
sound in the rod and tube were determined.
The velocity of sound in rod depends on two things, the air
temperature, length and type of rod. First, high temperature permits sound to
travel faster. From the velocity of sound in air, a proportion was observed
that velocities of sound in rod and in air are indirectly proportional to the
average length of the successive heaps and length of the rod, respectively.
Hence, smaller ratio between lengths of the rod to the average length
successive powder heaps will produce higher value of the velocity.
Another factor that affects the velocity of sound in rod is its ability to
expand or the Youngs Modulus and the inertia resisting the return to
equilibrium, or the density. Velocity of sound is found to be directly
proportional to the square root of Youngs Modulus and indirectly
proportional to the square root of density. Thus, higher youngs modulus will
give higher velocity of sound and higher value of density will give low value
of velocity.
The experiment aims to determine the velocity of sound in metal rod
and determine the speed of sound in the tube applying the principles of
resonance. The velocity of sound can be determined using Kundts tube
apparatus. Using the principles of resonance and applying the velocity of
wave, the group computed the value of the velocity of sound in the rod v r
(computed) was 3283.59 m/s with a 5.51 % error compared to velocity of

sound in the rod v r (textbook) which is equal to 3475 m/s. These proves
that the velocity of the sound can be computed through applying principles
of resonance and verified that sound travels through the air and rod as its
medium and behaves longitudinal waves.