jbl176 Page number1

Frequency of sound waves of a wine glass with water

I confirm this work is my own work. I have acknowledged each use of the words or ideas of another person,
whether written, oral or visual.

Research Question:
What is the effect of the amount of water on the frequency of sound waves produced by a glass of wine
with water?

Introduction:
I chose the topic because I had already observed the effect of rubbing my finger on a glass of wine with
water in high school practice, but I had not had the opportunity to give a specific focus or purpose to
those observations. From that, I decided that this would be the topic for this research work. After
researching this phenomenon, the frequency of the sound that the glasses produce depending on the
amount of water used interested me greatly.

Background information:
Sound is a mechanical disruption that propagates through an elastic material medium from a state of
equilibrium. Sound proliferates through the air or different mediums as a longitudinal wave, in which the
mechanical vibration comprising the wave happens along the bearing of engendering of the wave. One
complete wavelength takes a specific time period to go through a certain point in space; this period (T) is
frequently measured in fractions of a second. Besides, during an interval of time of one second, a precise
number of wavelengths go through a point space. The number of wavelengths that pass per second is
usually measured in hertz and is represented by f. (Sound, 2020)

The idea of the wet finger around the glass has been known since Renaissance times, being Galileo Galilei
among the first to observe this phenomenon. It is possible as the water on the finger will allow this to
slide, as it forms a pad that reduces friction. When the pressure and the amount of moisture are
adequate, the non-slip movement (the slight friction between the finger and the edge of the cup) will
cause vibrations on the sides of the glass. The sides of the glass transmit the vibration to the nearby air,
creating a sound wave with a specific frequency. There is a particular frequency called resonance
frequency, in which the sides of the glass will vibrate more easily. The resonance frequency of wine glasses
is normally within the range of human hearing (20-20,000 Hz) and because of this, the resulting resonant
vibration is heard as a tone. (Singing Glasses, 2017)

When the pressure and the amount of moisture are correct, the anti-slip motion, the slight friction
between the finger and the edge of the glass, will cause vibrations on the sides of the glass. The sides of
the glass transmit the vibration to the surrounding air, creating a sound wave with a specific frequency.
(The Science of Sound, n.d.)
 jbl176 Page number2

Hypothesis:
The frequency reached by the wine glass is directly proportional
to the amount of water the wine glass has.

Variables:
Table 1: ​Experimental variables
Variables (Independent, (discuss) Likely impact upon the
dependent, control, uncontrolled) investigation
Independent variable
Amount of water
Dependent variable
Frequency produced
Control variables
● Size of the glasses
● Water provenance
Uncontrolled variables
● Amount of water on the finger
used
● The speed ​at which the glasses
was being rubbed
● The pressure exerted on the
glasses by the finger
How the variable will be changed/
measured/controlled
● Changing the amount of water ● Measured with a graduated
changes the length of the cylinder
waves produced by the ● Measured in cm​3
friction. ● 50 cm​3​, 100 cm​3​, 150cm​3
● These values ​have been
chosen because there is a
considerable range between
them
● The variable chosen is ● Measured in Hz
adequate because it changes ● Measured with a frequency
depending on the amount of meter
water used.
● The size and shape of the ● The glasses will be the same
glasses and the water for the three quantities of
provenance affect the value of water.
the wavelength and ● The surface will be identical
consequently affect the ● The water will be extracted
frequency. from the same place
● The amount of water on the ● The finger used will be the
finger, the speed at which the same in all the trials.
glasses will be rubbed and the ● It will be ensured that the
pressure exerted on the amount of water is the same
glasses by the finger can alter in all the trials
the friction between the finger
and the glass and
consequently produce or not a
sound.
 jbl176 Page number3

Materials:
❏ Graduated cylinder
● Brand: unknown
● Uncertainty: ±1cm​3
❏ 3 wine glasses
● Brand: unknown
❏ 500 cm​3​ of water
❏ 20 cm​3 ​container
● Brand: Tupperware
❏ Frequency meter (App)
● Name: Spectroid
● Uncertainty: ±1Hz

Method:
A place in my house was chosen due to the silence needed to not interfere
with the measures. With the graduated cylinder 50.0cm​3​, 75.0 cm​3​, 100cm​3​,
125 cm​3 and 150cm​3 was measured. Subsequently, the water was poured into
the corresponding wine glasses, which were of the same brand, shape, and
capacity. Then, the 20.0 cm​3 container was filled with 15.0 cm​3 of water, as it
was used to wet the finger that will be used to rub the cups. This was done to
avoid occupying the water inside the cups and maintaining better accuracy.
Hands were washed before proceeding with the measurement because any
remaining dirt must be removed. The frequency meter was turned on to start
the measurements. The finger got wet in the water of the 20.0 cm​3 container
and rubbed on the edge of the cup with 150 cm​3 of water. While doing this,
the measurement given by the frequency meter is reviewed. The process was
repeated five times to reduce random errors. Then the same procedure was
repeated with the wine glasses with 100 and 50.0 cm​3​of water.
Figure 1: E​ xperimental setup
.

Figure 2, 3, and 4: S​ creenshots of the measurements of the frequency given by the frequency meter app.
From left to right, the first screenshot is the measure for 50.0 cm​3​, the second is for 75.0 cm​3​, and the
third is for 100 cm​3​.
 jbl176 Page number4

Figure 5, and 6: ​Screenshots of the measurements of the frequency given by the frequency meter app.
From left to right, the first screenshot is the measure for 125 cm​3.​ and the second is for 150 cm​3​.

Safety, Ethical and Environmental considerations:

A possible hazard that should be taken into account is that the wine glasses must be on a flat, horizontal,
and extensive surface at all times, since if they suffer any strong impact they may break. If anyone breaks,
the pieces must be handled with extreme care and will be picked up with a cloth, because they can cause
severe injuries to the person handling them. An ethical and environmental consideration that may be
taken into account is the use that will be given to the water after it is used. It was used to water plants.

Analysis:
The frequency produced by the wine glass and the finger, according to the amount of water on it, can be
found in Table 2. The uncertainty in the centimeters of water measured came from the graduated cylinder
used, and the uncertainty of the frequency came from the frequency meter used.

Table 2: ​Raw data

Water (cm​3​) ± Frequency (Hz) ± 1.00 Hz
1.00 cm​3 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5
Glass 1 50.0 cm​3 627 Hz 627 Hz 627 Hz 627 Hz 627 Hz
Glass 2 75.0 cm​3 662 Hz 662 Hz 662 Hz 662 Hz 662 Hz
Glass 3 100 cm​3 797 Hz 797 Hz 797 Hz 797 Hz 797 Hz
Glass 4 125 cm​3 829 Hz 829 Hz 829 Hz 829 Hz 829 Hz
Glass 5 150 cm​3 855 Hz 855 Hz 855 Hz 855 Hz 855 Hz
 jbl176 Page number5
Given that table, what needs to be graphed is the frequency produced by the wine glass versus the
amount of water that the wine glass has. To obtain the graph and the processed data, further calculations
need to be done. To calculate the average frequency produced by every wine glass is the following:

Average= (sum of all trials)/ 5 ± (max frequency - min frequency)/ 2

Table 3: ​Processed data for graphing

I.V. Amount of water. Milliliters/ cm​3​/ ±1.00 cm​3 D.V. Average frequency produced. Hertz/ Hz/
±1.00 Hz
50.0 cm​3 627 Hz
75.0 cm​3 662 Hz
100 cm​3 797 Hz
125 cm​3 829 Hz
150 cm​3 855 Hz

​ elationship between the amount of water and the frequency produced by the wine glass
Figure 5: R
 jbl176 Page number6
In an Excel spreadsheet (Figure 5), a scatter plot was made with the data of table 3. Since the resulting
function was logarithmic, to linearize it we will change the value of x by ln(x). The table with the new
values ​of x is shown below. To obtain the uncertainties of each of the values of ln(x), the following
operation was done:
ln(x±Δx)=ln(x)± Δxx

Table 4: ​Processed data for graphing with the new value of x

x​±1.00 ln(x)​± Δx
x y​±1.00 Hz
50.0 3.91​±​0.02 627
75.0 4.32±0.013 662
100 4.61±0.01 797
125 4.83±0.008 829
150 5.01± 0.006 855

Figure 6: ​Relationship between the amount of water and the frequency produced by the wine glass with
the new value of x

In an Excel spreadsheet (Figure 6), a scatter plot was made with the data of table 3. In figure 6, the error
bars were graphs, to represent the uncertainty due to the use of the frequency meter (±1Hz). These error
bars are barely noticeable, but this is due to the scale used in the graph. The error bars in the x-axis
represent the uncertainty of the graduated cylinder (​± Δx
x ) used to measure the water. A straight best-fit
line (purple) shows a positive correlation between the variables. The only anomaly detected is in
(ln(75),662). This anomaly is due to incorrect use of the frequency meter. The gradient of the best-fit line
 jbl176 Page number7
is 228.79 Hzcm​3​. This means that if the water increases ln(1)cm​3 then the frequency will increase by
228.79 Hz. The y-intercept of the best-fit line is 283.48Hz indicating that if the amount of water in the
wine glass is 0cm​3 then the frequency that this would produce would be 283.48Hz. However, if the finger
is rubbed into the empty wine glass, no frequency is detected, so this is a systematic error.
Due to errors, maximum and minimum gradient lines were added as well. The minimum gradient line
(pink) has a gradient of 204.97Hzcm​3​, which means that the increase of ln(1)cm​3 would cause an increase
of 204.97Hz in the frequency. The y-intercept of this line is 174.25 Hz, meaning that if the amount of water
in the wine glass is 0cm​3 then the frequency that this would produce would be 174.25 Hz. The maximum
gradient line (blue) has a gradient of 208.07 Hzcm​3​, which indicates that the increase of ln(1)cm​3 would
cause an increase of 208.07 Hz in the frequency. The y-intercept of this line, which is 187.55Hz, indicates
that if the amount of water in the wine glass is 0cm​3 then the frequency that this would produce would be
187.55Hz

Qualitative data
In some of the tests carried out, the finger that was used did not have the necessary humidity so that the
wine glass could produce ripples. If it was not wet enough, it would cause squeaks, which could make
measurements difficult

Conclusion:
It can be observed that the data in Table 4 and Figure 6 that as the amount of water in the wine glass
increases, the frequency produced increases too. It is shown that there is a positive logarithmic correlation
between the water in the wine glass and the frequency that it produces. In figure 5, the best-fit line shows
that the relationship is logarithmic. This means that the initial hypothesis “The frequency reached by the
wine glass is directly proportional to the amount of water the wine glass has” is not supported since the
original best-fit line is not linear. As was stated in the background information, the waves that are
produced when the finger is rubbed in the wine glass produce a specific frequency. Nevertheless, as it can
be seen in figure 6, there is a strong positive correlation between the variables. The fact that the value of
R​2​ is 0.932, which is almost 1, demonstrates it.

Evaluation, improvements, and next steps:

The main random error that was identified is that the pressure exerted on the wine glass was not
controlled, which caused the glass wine to squeak or produce ripples. As the background information
mentioned, there must be the correct and adequate one so that any frequency can be emitted. One way
in which this error can be controlled is for the same finger to be rubbed on the wine glass to avoid more or
less pressure being exerted than in the other tests.

The materials used to make the tests were accurate since the uncertainty of both is of a minimum value.
The uncertainty of the frequency meter is 1Hz, which allowed to make precise measurements since the
value of the uncertainty is less than 1%. The graduated cylinder also has very little uncertainty. This is 1.00
cm​3​, and as mentioned above, this also allowed me to make precise measurements.

References:
➢ Buddies, S. (2015, November 26). Singing Glasses. Retrieved from
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/singing-glasses1/
➢ Science Buddies Staff. (2017, July 28). Singing Wine Glasses. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Music_p008/music/singing-w
ine-glasses
 jbl176 Page number8
➢ The Science of Sound. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.nasa.gov/specials/X59/science-of-sound.html
➢ Berg, R. (2020, April 06). Sound. Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com/science/sound-physics