Sound Waves Traveling Down a String

In summary, the conversation involves a brother and sister trying to communicate using a string tied between two tin cans. The string is 9.5m long, has a mass of 55g, and is pulled taut with a tension of 6N. The question is how much time it takes for a wave to travel from one end of the string to the other. The equations used are v=√(F/M), M=mass/length, and t=d/v. The attempt at a solution involves converting the units to centimeters and kilograms, finding the value of M, using F=6N to find v, and then calculating t using the equation t=d/v. However, the calculated value for t is incorrect
  • #1
eagles12
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0

Homework Statement



A brother and sister try to communicate with a string tied between two tin cans. If the string is 9.5m long, has a mass of 55g and is pulled taut with tension 6N, how much time does it take for a wave to travel from one end of the string to the other?

Homework Equations



v=√(F/M)
M=mass/length
t=d/v

The Attempt at a Solution



First, I converted 9.5m to 950cm and 55g to .055kg
I used these to find M=.055/950
M=5.7* 10^-5
I used F=6N and divided that by M, then took the square root and i got
v=321.96
then I divided 950 by 321.96 in order to get the time, and got
t=2.95 but this is incorrect.
 
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  • #2
eagles12 said:
First, I converted 9.5m to 950cm
Why? Meters is the units you want.
 

1. How do sound waves travel down a string?

Sound waves travel down a string through a process called longitudinal vibration. This means that the particles in the string move back and forth in the same direction as the wave, creating a chain reaction that propagates the wave along the string.

2. Why do sound waves travel faster in a string than in air?

The speed of sound waves depends on the medium through which they travel. In a string, the particles are much closer together than in air, allowing for faster propagation of the wave. Additionally, the tension in the string also plays a role in increasing the speed of the sound waves.

3. How does the tension in a string affect the speed of sound waves?

The tension in a string is directly proportional to the speed of sound waves traveling through it. This means that as the tension increases, the speed of the sound waves also increases. This is because higher tension results in faster movement of the particles in the string, allowing for faster propagation of the wave.

4. What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength in sound waves traveling down a string?

The frequency and wavelength of a sound wave are inversely proportional. This means that as the frequency increases, the wavelength decreases and vice versa. In other words, a higher frequency sound wave has a shorter wavelength, and a lower frequency sound wave has a longer wavelength when traveling down a string.

5. Can sound waves travel down a string indefinitely?

Sound waves can only travel down a string as long as the string is continuous and has enough tension to propagate the waves. Once the string is broken or the tension is too low, the waves will dissipate and the sound will stop. However, in theory, if these conditions are met, sound waves can travel down a string indefinitely.

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