Beat frequency heard from two tuning forks

In summary, post your question, try to troubleshoot it on your own if you can, and if you can't then post and ask for help.
  • #1
Andrew Tom
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Homework Statement
Beat frequency
Relevant Equations
Beat frequency
1665136479203.png

Is my solution correct?

I used v=lambda*f, i.e. f=v/lambda to get the frequency for each wave. Then I calculated the average of the frequencies to get 258Hz and found the beat frequency by doing f1-f2 to get 4Hz. I then said that this means the observer will hear a tone of frequency 258Hz which rises and falls in intensity 4 times per second.
 
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  • #2
Hi,

No Joy with ##\LaTeX## :wink: ?

PF isn't for stamp-approving homework answers.
On the other hand, I find no obvious errors in your calculation.
Are you allowed to use 332 m/s as speed of sound ?

##\ ##
 
  • #3
BvU said:
Hi,

No Joy with ##\LaTeX## :wink: ?

PF isn't for stamp-approving homework answers.
On the other hand, I find no obvious errors in your calculation.
Are you allowed to use 332 m/s as speed of sound ?

##\ ##
Thank you I will use LaTeX next time.

It is given as 330 in the formula booklet so I don't think so.

Would it be ok to just post the question rather than asking for confirmation of my answer? Or is there some other way it should be done?
 
  • #4
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  • #5
Andrew Tom said:
Would it be ok to just post the question rather than asking for confirmation of my answer? Or is there some other way it should be done?
At some point you should reach a stage where you have acquired enough confidence in yourself to troubleshoot your own work. Asking people to check your work is analogous to riding a bike with training wheels. You will never start doing it without the wheels until you remove them. Avoid asking for help unless you are stumped and don't know how to proceed, not if you have reached an answer and you feel OK about it.

When I troubleshoot my work, I try as hard as I can to produce arguments, calculations, limiting cases, etc. that might prove me wrong. If I can't find any, chances are that I'm right. To reinforce this opinion I might do web research and see what others have said or done on the subject. This particular Wikipedia article has everything you need to convince yourself that you did it right.
 
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FAQ: Beat frequency heard from two tuning forks

What is beat frequency?

Beat frequency is the fluctuation in sound intensity that is heard when two tuning forks of slightly different frequencies are sounded together. It is caused by the interference of sound waves from the two forks.

How is beat frequency calculated?

Beat frequency can be calculated by taking the difference between the frequencies of the two tuning forks. For example, if one fork has a frequency of 440 Hz and the other has a frequency of 442 Hz, the beat frequency would be 2 Hz.

What causes beat frequency?

Beat frequency is caused by the superposition of sound waves from two tuning forks with slightly different frequencies. When the sound waves overlap, they interfere with each other, resulting in a periodic increase and decrease in sound intensity.

How does beat frequency affect the perceived pitch of the tuning forks?

When two tuning forks with different frequencies are sounded together, the beat frequency creates a pulsing effect that can be heard as a change in pitch. The perceived pitch will be the average of the two frequencies, with the beat frequency being the difference between them.

Can beat frequency be used to tune instruments?

Yes, beat frequency can be used as a tuning method for instruments. By comparing the beat frequency of a reference tuning fork with the beat frequency of the instrument, adjustments can be made to bring the instrument into tune.

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