The effect of temperature on the damping of a guitar string

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the impact of temperature on the damping of guitar strings, particularly focusing on the viscous damping coefficient. The student references the wave equation and questions whether temperature influences damping, despite finding no direct correlation in existing literature. A key insight shared is that colder, denser air extracts more energy from the string, resulting in a louder sound initially but leading to quicker damping. The drag equation is recommended for further exploration of this phenomenon.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of wave equations, specifically the model $$T\frac{\partial^2 y(x,t)}{\partial x^2} + \beta\frac{\partial y(x,t)}{\partial t}-\rho \frac{\partial^2 y(x,t)}{\partial t^2} = 0$$
  • Knowledge of viscous damping coefficients and their role in wave propagation
  • Familiarity with thermal expansion principles in materials
  • Basic understanding of the drag equation and its applications
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the relationship between temperature and viscous damping coefficients in materials
  • Study the drag equation in detail to understand its implications for sound propagation
  • Investigate the effects of air density on sound waves and energy extraction
  • Explore the thermal properties of different materials used in guitar construction, particularly metal strings
USEFUL FOR

High school students, physics enthusiasts, and musicians interested in the acoustic properties of guitar strings and the effects of environmental factors on sound quality.

SamuuLau
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TL;DR
How does temperatue affect damping of a guitar string, assuming temperature doesn't change the other factors, such as the wooden guitar?
I am a high school student and recently I have been working on a project about how temperature affects the frequency of a string emits. I have read blogs like https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/tension-and-frequency-with-change-in-temperature.833185/ and completed the part of thermal expansion to the elasticity/tension force. However, another question that strikes me is how does temperature affect the damping of the string.
I looked up some formulas that might be related, such as the model of $$T\frac{\partial^2 y(x,t)}{\partial x^2} + \beta\frac{\partial y(x,t)}{\partial t}-\rho \frac{\partial^2 y(x,t)}{\partial t^2} = 0$$ Where 𝛽 is a viscous damping coefficient.

I searched about what affects the vicous damping coefficeint and I couldn't find temperature as one of the factors. Am I wrong assuming temperatue changes the damping of a guitar string?

Also, I am assuming the temperature has no effect on any material besides the string such as the guitar neck or wood. I am focusing solely on the metal string.
 
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Welcome to PF.

Colder, more dense air, extracts more energy from the string, so it sounds louder initially, but is damped more quickly.
You need to study the drag equation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_equation
 

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