An investigation into the factors affecting the frequency of a standing wave

... An investigation into the factors affecting the frequency of a standing wave Introduction There are several ways in which you can control the pitch (frequency) of a note produced by a string. A string with 2 fixed ends (called nodes) can produce different standing waves. The lowest frequency standing wave that can be produced has a wavelength ? where ? = 2l (l = length of string) This is related to the frequency ƒ of oscillation by the wave equation V = ƒ? Where V is the speed of transverse waves traveling along the string. You can therefore deduct that ƒ = v/? = v/2l ƒ therefore should be inversely proportional to the length of the string, i.e. the shorter the string, the higher the note. The frequency will also depend on the tension and the mass per unit length of the string, as they affect the speed of transverse waves traveling along the string. The greater the

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