Finding the period of a vibrating ruler

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on determining the period of a vibrating ruler using basic equipment, specifically a ruler, stopwatch, sticky tape, and a pencil. Participants suggest attaching the pencil to the ruler's end to create a vibration pattern on paper. However, they identify challenges in maintaining paper stability and accounting for the ruler's arc movement. A proposed solution is to move the paper past the vibrating ruler to count vibrations without needing to reproduce the wavelength.

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Homework Statement


This is a practical experiment. We have to find the factors effecting the period of a vibrating ruler. This entails finding first the period of a vibrating ruler. We have the equipment a ruler, a stopwatch, some stickytape and a pencil


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


The obvious idea is to tape the pencil t the end of the ruler and then have it vibrate to produce a pattern if you held a paper to the end of the ruler, but of course this leads to all kinds of errors including how are you going to hold the paper steady and account for the "arc" movement of the tip of the ruler in vibration.

Just wondering is there a better way. Involving the equipment provided.
 
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Learnphysics said:
The obvious idea is to tape the pencil t the end of the ruler and then have it vibrate to produce a pattern if you held a paper to the end of the ruler, but of course this leads to all kinds of errors including how are you going to hold the paper steady …

Hi Learnphysics! :smile:

Do you need to hold the paper steady?

Why not just move it past the ruler … you only need the paper for counting the number of the vibrations … the wavelength doesn't have to be reproduced! :wink:
 

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