Can anyone tell me what physics laws apply to an xylophone? Also, just a guitar string being played?
2007-04-04 05:42:33 · 3 answers · asked by sportfreak490 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Wave physics for both. Standing waves, because of their constructive/destructive nature, can exist only at discrete frequencies. This means, they can exist only in multiples of whole numbers. [See source.]
What you hear as middle C, for example, is nothing more or less than a standing wave of the middle C frequency. The length, tautness, and mass of a string (guitar) determine the standing wave (note played with strummed). Similarly, the notes on a xylophone are determined by the length, tautness, and mass of each key. These standing waves are called the natural or fundamental frequencies of the key, string, etc. [See source.]
2007-04-04 06:31:40 · answer #1 · answered by oldprof 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Guitar strings (I'll let you extrapolate to xylophone) vibrate when plucked. How they vibrate depends on the size (diameter) of the string and it's length. a shorter length the higher pitch, the thinner string the higher pitch. These vibrations are measured by hertz. In the US tuning is standardized to A=440 hertz (The Beatles often used 444, because they said it gave them a brighter sound.) Within the dominant vibrations of the string there are smaller vibrations. You can bring out these smaller tones on guitar when you use harmonics.
The following physics are with the western style of harmony and melody. When the Hertz are doubled you achieve an octave above the original note.(A=440, 880=A2) When you triple the hertz you get the octave plus a fifth tone (A=440, 1320=E2) When you quadruple the hertz you get two octaves. (A=440, 1760=A3) When you pentupple the hertz you get two and a third octaves. (A=440, 2200=between C3 and C#3) If you go on like this you then get the fifth again, a half sharp sixth, and the octave again. Beyond that is jazz. If you look at the harmonies in western music you find that the predominant tones of the Root, fifth and third, follow this pattern.
2007-04-04 13:20:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both are good examples of simple harmonic motion. They also obey F=ma.
2007-04-04 12:58:41 · answer #3 · answered by indiana_jones_andthelastcrusade 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋