Experiment No.

304: Kundt's Tube: Velocity of Sound in Solid

OBJECTIVE:
This experiment we conduct was to determine the
velocity of sound traveling in a medium. The metal
rod was enclosed in a tube glass with some powder
that can illustrate the velocity of sound that we are
applying to the rod by pulling back and forth. This
friction causes vibration and later it would be
converted to sound inside the tube. This experiment
would also be determine the speed of the sound
traveling throughout the tube by applying the
principles of resonance.

METHODOLOGY: For the 1st part as show in figure – 2 above, we need

to check if the rod was clamped at the middle. We
also checked the cork that closed the tube if it was
intact. We then place it at the side of the table for it
to be easily used by the demonstrator.

In this experiment we will be using materials as

shown in figure-1 are Kundt’s Tube Apparatus,
meter stick, piece of cloth, thermometer and rosin
lycopodium powder.
The Kundt’s tube consists of a hollowed glass tube,
a metal rod and some clamps to secure the rod in
position. The metal rod is needed to be clamped at
the middle to saw good outcomes through the
experiment. The tube is a closed type apparatus
because of the one end stopped by a cork.
In figure – 3 our group mate demonstrate the pulling Temperature of air, 𝒕 27 °C
back and forth of the rod with rosin powder (figure –
Velocity of sound in air, 348.2 m/s
4) inside the cloth. This vibration of the rod was due
𝒗𝒂
to the energy that comes from the friction produced Velocity of sound in the 3024.27 m/s
by stroking cloth at the rod. The waves produced
inside after vibration is visibly seen through the rod, 𝒗𝒓 (Equation 3)
change of the powder’s pattern inside the glass tube. Velocity of sound in the 3475 m/s
rod, 𝒗𝒓 (Textbook)
% Error 𝟏𝟐. 𝟗𝟕𝟏 %
After the demonstration. We examine the tube and Density of the rod , 𝒑 8700 kg/m3
gathered data to be used for the computation. We also Velocity of sound in the 3234.157 m/s
need to get the room temperature of the air as shown rod, 𝒗𝒓 (Equation 4)
in figure –5. % Error 𝟔. 𝟗𝟑𝟏 %

Velocity of sound in the rod, 𝒗𝒓 (Equation 3):

𝑳𝒓 × 𝑣𝑎
𝒗𝒓 =
𝑳𝒂
91.2 𝑐𝑚 × 348.2 𝑚/𝑠
𝒗𝒓 =
10.5 𝑐𝑚
𝒗𝒓 = 𝟑𝟎𝟐𝟒. 𝟐𝟕 𝒎/𝒔

Percent Error:
𝜶𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 −𝜶𝒆𝒙𝒑
% 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100
𝜶𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍
3475 − 3024.27
% 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100
3475
% 𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 = 12.971 %
In figure – 6 we were measuring the distance
between successive powders but it is difficult to be
measured accurately because we can’t locate the
exact center of the dust. We average the lengths of
all the distance and used that data.
DATA and SAMPLE COMPUTATIONS
Kundt’s Tube : Velocity of Sound in Solid Velocity of sound in the rod, 𝒗𝒓 (Equation 4):

Length of metal rod, 𝑳𝒓 𝟗𝟏. 𝟐 𝒄𝒎 Υ

𝒗𝒓 = √
𝜌
Average length of 10.5 𝑐𝑚
powder segments, 𝑳𝒂
 the room is one to be considered to be had an effect
9.1 × 101010 N/m2
𝒗𝒓 = √ from the velocity of air, and 3rd the placement of the
8700 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 rod from the clamp. In successive demonstration we
𝒗𝒓 = 𝟑𝟐𝟑𝟒. 𝟏𝟓𝟕 𝒎/𝒔 cannot think that the clamp can hold that excessive
force from the pulling back and forth of the
demonstrator.
Percent Error:
Another to be considered from the equation 3 that
𝜶𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 −𝜶𝒆𝒙𝒑 cause higher percentage error is the insufficient
% 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100
𝜶𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍 powder from the tube. It is not even from the whole
3475 − 3234.157 tube and it sticks into the glass because of the moist.
% 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = × 100
3475 For the equation 4. Young’s modulus and the density
% 𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 = 6.931 % of the rod are all constant and that can be the
significance of lower error. It only have 2 data to be
considered to use so it can lessen the error.
GRAPH CONCLUSION
We did determine the velocity of sound and the speed
Temperature vs. Velocity of sound
of it that was produced from the rod throughout the
3060
tube. We manage to get that from manipulating some
Velocity of sound (m/s)

3040 conditions that can produce resonance. Conditions

3020 like that clamping of the rod at the middle so that we
3000 can have the wave, and checking the rod and the disk
2980 inside if it was contact with the glass tube. This
24 27 30 33 conditions were been followed and by that we use the
Temperature (°C) formulas given from the laboratory manual.

Temperature vs. Velocity of sound
ANALYSIS OF DATA
The data we gathered from the experiment shows that
the sounds produced by the rod can be used to solve
for the velocity of sound that transmitted through the
air inside the glass. The equation 3 had a bigger
percentage error from the equation 4 due to that
equation 4 only consist of two given data which is
young’s modulus and the density of the rod. Equation
3 had a bigger percentage error because it has many
data that are not that accurate and that would need to
be considered for the solving. Problems I’ve seen
that it can be point out for that high error are the
inaccurate measurement of the successive dust inside
the kundt’s tube, secondly is that the temperature of
I there conclude that the longitudinal wave is
produced as rod was pulled back and forth were the
wave has equal frequency making a resonance.
Vibration and the screeching sound was observe
from that demonstration produces sound that where
visible wave patterns inside the tube.
As a method of imaging the Kundt’s tube was the
medium used for us humans to see the idea of sound
not only by hearing it, but by seeing it actually.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I thanked my professor by sharing us many good
experiences and knowledge from this subject. And
for the lab assistants that was giving us many
techniques for us to do the experiment easily. I also
want to thank my group mates who acts accordingly
to our set tasks.

REFERENCES
[1] Halliday, Resnick, Walker, Principles of Physics,
Ninth Edition,