EXPERIMENT 303: KUNDT’S TUBE: VELOCITY OF

SOUND IN SOLID
Analysis

Sources of Error

 One probable source of error is the tube is not horizontally placed in the table.
 Another probable source of error is the uncertainty in measuring the length of the powder where
the waves travelled.
 Another probable source of error is the insufficient lycopodium powder provided.

Concepts and Principles

 The goals of this experiment were to obtain the velocity of sound in metal rod as well as the
velocity of sound in the tube with the application of resonance.

Relation of Concepts and Principles to the experiment

 By constantly applying stroke on the rod, friction is produced. So, longitudinal wave is produced.
 It goes down the tube from the rod at equalfrequency, hence making a resonance, and produces
sound.
 Conclusion
The objectives that we should be observing were met by obeying the conditions and procedures
needed such as clamping the rod at its midpoint, closing the one end of the glass tube while the other end
is free, and by making the disk in the rod not to be in contact with the glass tube. By
that means, the relationship derived in the equation given in the laboratory manual is followed.

While doing strokes on the rod, friction is produced between the cloth and the rod. As a result,
energy or disturbance will occur in a form of longitudinal wave. The vibrations of the rod are transmitted
by the disk to the air in the glass tube closed at one end. The waves set up in the air in the glass tube have
the same frequency as those in the rod. Hence, a resonance will be formed and produces sound. The
waves are reflected at the closed end of the tube and the air in the tube is thus acted upon
bytwo similar sets of waves traveling in opposite directions.

Besides from the application of the resonance, velocity of sound in rod can also be evaluated
byconsidering the elasticity and density of thematerial where the sound wave travels. The
velocity is directly proportional to the Young’s modulus of elasticity and inversely proportional to the
density of the material being used. Aside from the velocity of sound in metal, we learned that it is an
important factor to consider the velocity of sound in air if we are to use the resonance principle in the
Kundt’s tube. The said velocity is somewhat linearly dependent with temperature. So, for every rise
in temperature per Celsius degree, the velocity of the sound is increased by 0.6 m/s like our professor
discussed in our lecture class.

In our field in manufacturing and mechanical engineering, one example of resonance is provided
by a motor that causes vibration in a piece of furniture in another part of the same house. These vibrations
occur because the furniture has a natural frequency equal to the frequency of the vibrations set up by the
motor. The furniture is said to be in resonance with the motor. Resonance can also be observed in an
automobile when a certain part an ash tray, for example vibrates when the car is traveling at a certain
speed. The ash tray is in resonance with the vibrations of the engine at that speed. Mechanical resonance
can produce vibrations strong enough to destroy the object in which they occur. For example, soldiers
marching over a bridge can set up extreme vibrations at the bridge's natural frequency and shake it apart.
For this reason soldiers break step to cross a bridge.
 References
Young H., Freedman R., Lewis F. (2011). University of Physics (13th edition).United States: Pearson
Education.

Bernard, C.H.,Laboratory Experiment inCollege Physics, 7th Edition, 1995

Wilson, Jerry D.,Physics Laboratory Experiments, 6th edition,2003

How Stuff Works. Resonance.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/resonance-info.htm