1.

Theory (concept) (why plot W=L2)

2. Discuss result
3. Precaution
4. Application
5. Others

Introduction
In this experiment, various mass of slotted mass were attached to the thread connected
to the function generator.
As the mass of slotted mass changes, the tension in the string changes.
As the tension in the vibrating string changes, the number of loops between the ends
of the string changes.
The distance between two nodes along a standing wave,L were recorded and the miu
were calculated.

1. Theory
A standing wave, also known as a stationary wave, is a wave that remains in a constant position.
This phenomenon can occur because the medium is moving in the opposite direction to the wave,
or it can arise in a stationary medium as a result of interference between two waves traveling in
opposite directions.
Standing waves commonly arise when a boundary blocks further propagation of the wave, thus
causing wave reflection, and therefore introducing a counter-propagating wave.
If one end of a light, flexible string is attached to a vibrator and the other end passes over a fixed
pulley to a weight holder, the waves travel down the string to the pulley and are then reflected,
producing a reflected wave moving in the opposite direction.
The wave and its reflection interfere according to the superposition principle.
Superposition principle states that when two or more traveling waves encounter each other while
moving through a medium, the resulting wave is found by adding together the displacements of
the individual waves point by point.
The sum of two counter-propagating waves of equal amplitude and frequency creates a standing
wave.
The vibration of the string is then a composite motion resulting from the combined effect of the
two oppositely directed waves.

If the proper relationship exists between the frequency, the length and the tension, a standing wave
is produced and when the conditions are such as to make the amplitude of the standing wave a
maximum, the system is said to be in resonance.
A standing wave has points of zero displacement (due to destructive interference) and points of
maximum displacement (due to constructive interference).
The positions of no vibration are called nodes (N) and the positions of maximum vibration are
called antinodes (A). The segment between two nodes is called a loop.

2. Discuss result
From the equation w=4uf2L2, it shows that the weight of the load,w , is directly
proportional to the distance between two nodes along a standing waves,L. When the
weight of the load increases, the tension in the string increases. If one changes the
tension in a vibrating string, the number of loops between the ends of the string
change. As a result the distance between neighboring nodes changes, thus producing a
change in wavelength.

3. Precaution

Precautions taken:Care is taken to determine when the standing wave occurs as this is identified to
be a major variability. For this, instead of merely taking the distance from the vibration generator
to the wedge as the length between two nodes, the distance between two actual nodes were
identified instead, where possible, by extending the string to produce two nodes for the same
frequency. In measuring the length between two nodes, several readings were taken for each
measurement to average out the uncertainties of the readings.

Sources of Error:The main source of error is in identifying and measuring the length between the
two nodes.A major contributor to error is the accuracy of judgment as to when the standing wave
actually occurs. Secondly, because of the dynamic nature of the experiment, the string being
vibrating all the time, it is not possible to accurately measure the length between the two nodes to
the accuracy inherent in the ruler used as the measuring instrument, hence the expected
uncertainty in measurement is likely to be more than 1 mm.The frequency or function generator
has a small inherent uncertainty of 0.01 Hz and although the frequency often varies slightly during
the experiment 0.05 Hz, this variation is unlikely to contribute much to the overall error of the
experiment.The third and possible source of uncertainty is the mass of the slotted masses, which
we assume to be accurate to its stated value although it was not measured using a weighing
machine.

4. Application
A large number of musical instruments work on the principle of resonance of standing waves in
strings that are fixed between two fixed ends.
Examples of these are the guitar, violin, ukulele,piano, and many other instruments.
Resonance of standing waves also play an important role in the design of cables used and the
safety mechanisms incorporated into, for instance, suspension bridges, as such resonance can
result in standing waves with vibration large enough to cause the collapse of the bridge, as had
happened during one stormy gale in 1940 when the Narrows Bridge in USA collapsed as it
galloped under resonance due to the strong winds, and became known as the Galloping Gertie.

5. Others
The following modifications to the experiments is suggested to improve the results further:
First, a vibration generator that could generate clearer and stronger waves is recommended to
produce clear nodes and antinodes.
The measuring ruler can also be held up using a set of retort stands so that readings can be taken in
a stable condition.
Another suggestion is to fix the length between the two nodes and vary the frequency as the
tension varies, as the variation in the frequency is more accurately determined than the
measurement of the length between the nodes.