Understanding Harmonics and Overtones in Closed and Open Pipe Organ Designs

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
1 replies · 4K views
SeanGillespie
Messages
35
Reaction score
0
This isn't actually a homework/coursework question, but rather a need to clarify a discepancy between my lecturer's notes and a textbook.

My lecturer's notes state that for an "organ" pipe, closed at one end, the 1st harmonic frequency will be 4L. For the 2nd harmonic the frequency will be 4L/3. And for the 3rd harmonic the frequency will be 4L/5. (Where L is the length of the organ pipe)

However, in my textbook it denotes these same frequencies as the 1st, 3rd and 5th harmonic, rather than 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Which is the correct formula? My lecturer's or my textbook's? (see attached image from textbook)

--- Sorry, correction: I meant wavelength in all above cases, not frequency. ---
 

Attachments

  • instrument harmonics.PNG
    instrument harmonics.PNG
    18.8 KB · Views: 1,851
on Phys.org
Hello sean.With the closed end pipe you get odd harmonics only but with the open ended pipe you get odd and even harmonics.I suspect your lecturer was referring to overtones rather than harmonics.
 
Last edited: