LU 12:

SOUND WAVE

Prepared by:
Dr. Faznny (1-2023/2024)
 Example 1
A guitarist is tuning his guitar before a concert. The tuner emits a
sound at 223 Hz but the guitar string emits a frequency of 231 Hz.
What is the beat frequency of the two tones together? (8 Hz)
 Example 2
A tuning fork produces a steady 400 Hz tone. When the tuning fork is
struck and held near a vibrating guitar string, 20 beats are counted in
five seconds. Calculate the possible frequencies produced by the
guitar string. (396 Hz OR 404 Hz)
Example 3
A guitar string has a length of 72 cm and a mass of 6 g.
(a) If you want to tune that string so its fundamental frequency is 440 Hz,
determine the speed of the wave should be.
(b) When the string is tuned to 440 Hz, calculate the string’s tension.
(c) Determine the oscillation period of the string in the 3rd harmonic.
(633.6 ms-1; 3345.4 N;7.57x10-4 s)
Example 4
A closed-end organ pipe is used to produce a mixture of sounds. The third
and fifth harmonics in the mixture have frequencies of 1100 Hz and
1833 Hz respectively. Calculate the frequency of the first harmonic
played by the organ pipe. (366.6 Hz)
Example 5
Melinda blows on a flute, causing resonating waves in an open-end air
column. The length of the air column is 30 cm. Determine the frequency of
the first, second, third and fourth harmonics. (571.67 Hz; 1143.34 Hz;
1715.01 Hz; 2286.668 Hz)
 Exercise
1. A string fixed at both ends has consecutive standing wave modes for
which the distances between adjacent nodes are 18 cm and 16 cm
respectively.
(a) Calculate the minimum possible length of the string? [144]
(b) If the tension is 10 N and the linear mass density is 4 g m-1, calculate
the fundamental frequency. [17.4]
 Exercise
1. A string fixed at both ends has consecutive standing wave modes for
which the distances between adjacent nodes are 18 cm and 16 cm
respectively.
(a) Calculate the minimum possible length of the string? [144]
(b) If the tension is 10 N and the linear mass density is 4 g m-1, calculate
the fundamental frequency. [17.4]
 Exercise
2. A piano technician is tuning a piano note with standard tuning fork of
346 Hz. She hears a beat frequency of 3 Hz when the tuning fork is
sounded together with the piano note. When she sounds another standard
tuning fork of frequency 348 Hz with the same piano note, she hears
beats of frequency 5 Hz. What is frequency of the piano note? [343]
Exercise
3. (a) Calculate the fundamental frequency and the next three frequencies
that could cause the standing wave patterns on a string 30 cm long, has a
mass per length of 9 x 10-3 kg m-1 and is stretched to a tension of 20 N.
[78.57, 157.14, 235.71, 314.28]

(b) Next, find the wavelength of the sound produced if the string
is vibrating at the 4th harmonic. [0.15]
Exercise
3. (a) Calculate the fundamental frequency and the next three frequencies
that could cause the standing wave patterns on a string 30 cm long, has a
mass per length of 9 x 10-3 kg m-1 and is stretched to a tension of 20 N.
[78.57, 157.14, 235.71, 314.28]

(b) Next, find the wavelength of the sound produced if the string
is vibrating at the 4th harmonic. [0.15]
 Exercise
4. The length of open pipe is 30 cm. Calculate the air frequency inside the
pipe, if it is vibrating at 5th harmonic. [2.86x103]

5. An open pipe has a length of 0.75 m. Calculate the length of a closed

organ pipe whose frequency for the third harmonic is the same as the
fundamental frequency of the open pipe?[1.125 m]
 Exercise
6. Consider an air-filled pipe with one open end and one closed end
containing a standing sound wave. Below is graph representing the standing
sound wave and the standing wave shown has a frequency of 960 Hz.

(a) Determine the length of the pipe. [0.625]

(b) Calculate the next higher frequency for resonance [1234.26]
Example 6
A point source emits
sound wave with an
average power output of
80 W.
(a) Find the intensity of
sound at 3 m from the
source
(b) Find the distance at
which the intensity of
sound is 1×10-8 Wm-2
[0.707 Wm-2;
2.523x104 m]
Example 7
The intensity level at a distance of 20 m from a loudspeaker is 102 dB.
- If the sound from the loudspeaker radiates uniformly over a
hemisphere in front of it, calculate the power of the sound
transmitted from the speaker. (39.7 W)
Example 8
The whistle of a train emits sound waves of frequency 1800 Hz. A
stationary listener measures the frequency of these emitted sound waves
as 1890 Hz. Calculate the speed of the train given the speed of sound in
air is 343 ms-1. (16.33 Hz)
Example 9
A high speed train travel past a train platform at 45 m/s while at that
time, the driver sound the horn of the train at a frequency of 415 Hz. If
the speed of sound is 343 m/s, what is the frequency of the sound heard
by a person on the platform
a) as the train approaches the person
b) as the train leaves the person behind
(477.7 Hz; 366.9 Hz)
Example 10
A stationary ambulance truck emits a siren with a frequency of 1200 Hz.
Given the speed of sound in air is 343 m/s, calculate the frequency
detected by the observer if
a) the observer is driving towards the ambulance truck at 25 m/s
b) the observer is driving towards the ambulance truck at 25 m/s
(1287.46 Hz; 1112.54 Hz)
Example 11
A police car is moving west at 20 m/s toward a car that is moving east at
25 m/s. The siren of the police car emits a frequency of 900 Hz. What
frequency is detected by the driver? (Given the speed of sound is
343 m/s) (1025.39 Hz)
Example 12
A police car is initially at rest on the road with the frequency of the
siren is 1000 Hz. A car is moving towards the police car with the velocity
of 33 m/s.
(a) Calculate the apparent frequency heard by the observer inside the
car. [1096.21 Hz]
(b) If the car is now moving away from the police car, calculate the
apparent frequency. [903.79 Hz]
(c) The car is now in stationary position. The police car is moving towards
the car with the velocity of 33 m/s. Calculate the apparent frequency
heard by the observer inside the car. [1106.45 Hz]
(d) If the police car is moving away from the stationary car, calculate the
apparent frequency heard by the observer. [912.23 Hz]
(e) If both cars are moving towards each other with the same velocity
of 33 m/s, calculate the apparent frequency. [1212.9 Hz]
(f) If both cars are moving in the same direction with the
same velocity, calculate the apparent frequency. Says that, the car is
in front of the police car. [1000 Hz]
 Example 12
A police car is initially at rest on the road with the frequency of the
siren is 1000 Hz. A car is moving towards the police car with the velocity
of 33 m/s.
(a) Calculate the apparent frequency heard by the observer inside the
car. [1096.21 Hz]
(b) If the car is now moving away from the police car, calculate the
apparent frequency. [903.79 Hz]
(c) The car is now in stationary position. The police car is moving towards
the car with the velocity of 33 m/s. Calculate the apparent frequency
heard by the observer inside the car. [1106.45 Hz]
.
(d) If the police car is moving away from the stationary car, calculate the
apparent frequency heard by the observer. [912.23 Hz]
(e) If both cars are moving towards each other with the same velocity
of 33 m/s, calculate the apparent frequency. [1212.9 Hz]
(f) If both cars are moving in the same direction with the
same velocity, calculate the apparent frequency. Says that, the car is
in front of the police car. [1000 Hz]
Example 12
A police car is initially at rest on the road with the frequency of the
siren is 1000 Hz. A car is moving towards the police car with the velocity
of 33 m/s.
(a) Calculate the apparent frequency heard by the observer inside the
.

car. [1096.21 Hz]

(b) If the car is now moving away from the police car, calculate the
apparent frequency. [903.79 Hz]
(c) The car is now in stationary position. The police car is moving towards
the car with the velocity of 33 m/s. Calculate the apparent frequency
heard by the observer inside the car. [1106.45 Hz]
(d) If the police car is moving away from the stationary car, calculate the
apparent frequency heard by the observer. [912.23 Hz]
(e) If both cars are moving towards each other with the same velocity
of 33 m/s, calculate the apparent frequency. [1212.9 Hz]
(f) If both cars are moving in the same direction with the
same velocity, calculate the apparent frequency. Says that, the car is
in front of the police car. [1000 Hz]
Example 13
You are cycling along a street at 15 m/s when you hear the siren of an
ambulance approaching you from behind and you perceive/observed the
frequency as 1370 Hz. When the ambulance continues past you, you
perceive the frequency as 1330 Hz. The speed of sound in air is 343 m/s.
Determine the frequency of the ambulance’s siren and the speed of the
ambulance. (1348.82 Hz, 20.07 m/s)
Exercise
7. The intensity of a spherical wave from a point source at a distance
of 7 m from the source is 180 W m-2 Calculate the
(a) total power emitted by the source. [111x103]
(b) intensity at a distance of 21 m from the source.[20]
.

8. A car X is chasing another car Y. The speed of X is 18 m/s and the

speed of Y is 14 m/s. The driver of car X sound the horn which is heard
by the driver in Y as having a frequency of 650 Hz. Calculate the
frequency of the horn as heard by the driver in X.[642]

9. A car is travelling at a speed of 30 m/s and it sounds its horn of

frequency 100 Hz. A stationary observer at a distance in front of the
car hears frequency of 110 Hz. Determine the speed of sound in
air. [330]
Exercise
.
7. The intensity of a spherical wave from a point source at a distance
of 7 m from the source is 180 W m-2 Calculate the
(a) total power emitted by the source. [111x103]
(b) intensity at a distance of 21 m from the source.[20]

8. A car X is chasing another car Y. The speed of X is 18 m/s and the

speed of Y is 14 m/s. The driver of car X sound the horn which is heard
by the driver in Y as having a frequency of 650 Hz. Calculate the
frequency of the horn as heard by the driver in X.[642]

9. A car is travelling at a speed of 30 m/s and it sounds its horn of

frequency 100 Hz. A stationary observer at a distance in front of the
car hears frequency of 110 Hz. Determine the speed of sound in
air. [330]
Exercise
.

7. The intensity of a spherical wave from a point source at a distance

of 7 m from the source is 180 W m-2 Calculate the
(a) total power emitted by the source. [111x103]
(b) intensity at a distance of 21 m from the source.[20]

8. A car X is chasing another car Y. The speed of X is 18 m/s and the

speed of Y is 14 m/s. The driver of car X sound the horn which is heard
by the driver in Y as having a frequency of 650 Hz. Calculate the
frequency of the horn as heard by the driver in X.[642]

9. A car is travelling at a speed of 30 m/s and it sounds its horn of

frequency 100 Hz. A stationary observer at a distance in front of the
car hears frequency of 110 Hz. Determine the speed of sound in
air. [330]