The discussion revolves around the fundamental frequency of a guitar string and the effect of pressing the string at various points. The original poster presents a scenario where a guitar player changes the frequency of the note produced by pressing the string at 1/4 of its length, with an initial fundamental frequency of 264 Hz.
There is ongoing exploration of the problem, with various interpretations of the effects of pressing the string. Some participants suggest that pressing the string changes its effective length, while others question the assumptions made in the original problem statement. Multiple frequencies are being discussed, including the fundamental frequency and overtones.
Some participants note potential typos in the original problem regarding the terminology used (e.g., "plucked" vs. "pressed"). There is also a mention of the assumption that string tension remains constant during the actions described.
olivermsun said:Now that I think about it, the formation of "harmonic" notes may have been discussed when I took high school physics. It can make a great audio-visual demonstration that the vibrating string contains a mixture of modes; by "choosing" nodes at certain parts of the string you essentially select "compatible" sets of modes and therefore the overtone series which is heard.
rude man said:Please read the last sentence in Simon's post # 25. Whatever you may or may not have done in your high school physics class has no bearing on this problem.