Making a Guitar to Study String Vibration
Filter by Subject
Brian Lamore at The Village School in Houston, TX, crafted a simple experiment on string vibration. Lamore’s students connected a rubber band to a Dual-Range Force Sensor to create a cheap “guitar” with which to study the relationship between tension and frequency. Students plucked the rubber band and monitored the force readings at 1000 Hz.
Using a rubber band in this way introduces several factors of complexity, such as:
- change in mass per unit length
- change not always proceeding according to Hooke’s law
- temperature sensitivity
The situation offers opportunities for possible extended investigations.
