The Monochord
The fundamental behaviour of vibrating strings
Demonstrates
Pulse propagation and wave motion on a string - Effects of string mass, tension, length - Effects of excitation position and type
Level
High school, with links to university levels
Abstract
The monochord experiments use a magnetic pickup and a metal string on a simple wooden frame, to illustrate the vibratory effects of the mechanical properties of a string and of the way the string is excited.
In a more advanced section, one- and two-dimensional optical transducers are described. These are harder to use, but they will resolve some asymmetric vibratory modes, and they work also with strings made from nylon and other non-conducting materials. |
