Investigating sound wave resonance
In this investigation, students use simple equipment to measure the wavelength of sound waves and calculate the speed of sound.
Set-up for tube resonance
Sound waves resonate in tubes that are the right length to fit the waves. By varying the length of a tube, a specific tone can be heard to resonate at specific points.
The investigation supports the science capability ‘Gather and interpret data’, providing a real-world context in which to practise mathematical skills. It also allows an opportunity to use the science capability ‘Interpret representations’ to visualise the sound waves resonating in the tubes.
Demonstration of tube resonance
The sound resonates (produces a loud standing wave in the tube) when the sound wave matches the length of the tube filled with air.
By the end of this investigation, students should be able to:
describe a standing wave
use measurements in a formula to calculate the speed of sound.
Equipment required:
Sound-generating device (tuning forks or smartphone tone generation app)
Length of plastic or metal pipe (minimum length 300 mm)
Water bath
Download the Word file (see link below).
Related content
This article is part of an article series:
with accompanying investigations:
Visit the sound topic for additional resources.
