How Does Temperature Affect Beat Frequency in Organ Pipes?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the impact of temperature on the beat frequency of organ pipes, specifically two identical pipes with fundamental frequencies of 264.00 Hz at 20.0°C. When the temperature of the rear pipe increases to 25.0°C, the speed of sound in the air changes, affecting the frequency of the sound produced. The participant is tasked with calculating the beat frequency resulting from this temperature difference, emphasizing the need for a formula that relates the speed of sound to temperature variations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of fundamental frequencies in organ pipes
  • Knowledge of how temperature affects the speed of sound
  • Familiarity with the concept of beat frequency
  • Basic algebra for solving equations
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the formula for the speed of sound in air as a function of temperature
  • Learn how to calculate beat frequency using frequency differences
  • Study the behavior of closed vs. open organ pipes
  • Explore the effects of temperature on sound propagation in different mediums
USEFUL FOR

Physics students, music acoustics enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the principles of sound and temperature effects on musical instruments.

dimpledur
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Homework Statement



Chapter 12, problem 34. An auditorium has organ pipes at the front and at the rear of the
hall. Two identical pipes, one at the front and one at the back, have fundamental frequencies
of 264.00 Hz at 20.0°C. During a performance, the organ pipes at the back of the hall are at
25.0°C, while those at the front are still at 20.0°C. What is the beat frequency when the two
pipes sound simultaneously? Use 3 significant figures.



The Attempt at a Solution



Basically, I am not sure whether to assume the organ pipes are closed at one end, and open at the other, or open at both ends. My textbook says it can be both...

Anyways, what I was going to do was just take a ratio of the frequencies.

f1 / f2 = (n1*v1/4L) / (n2*v2/4L)

The only problem here is I have 2 unknowns. I don't know n2 or f2..
 
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I think you would use n1 = n2 = 1 since it mentions fundamental frequency.
Do you understand why the pipe at the back would have a different frequency due to the higher temperature there?

The temperature affects the speed of sound in the air inside the pipe, so v2 will be different from v1. You will need a formula that tells how the speed of sound varies with temperature.
 

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