Mission SM5 Resonance and Standing Wave Patterns
Mission SM5 pertains the cause and result of resonance. Additionally, you will have to relate frequencies of various harmonics to one another and identify the harmonic number of various standing wave patterns. The mission consists of 39 questions organized into 10 Question Groups. You must answer one question from each Question Group to complete the mission. The learning outcomes for this mission are ...
Learning Outcomes
- The student should be able to identify the cause and result of resonance and the basic vocabulary associated with resonance.
- The student should be able to associate standing wave patterns with harmonic numbers and identify the frequency relationships for the various harmonics of a vibrating object.
Getting Help
If you are not familiar with this topic, then you should first learn about the topic using our written Tutorial or our Video Tutorial:
The Physics Classroom, Sound and Music Unit, Lesson 4, Part b
The Physics Classroom, Sound and Music Unit, Lesson 4, Part c
The Physics Classroom, Sound and Music Unit, Lesson 4, Part d
- When does resonance occur? What causes it?
- What is the result of resonance?
- How would the natural frequencies of a pleasant-sounding instrument be characterized?
- What is a harmonic?
- What is meant by fundamental frequency?
- What standing wave patterns might be observed of a string vibrating in the first harmonic?
- What standing wave patterns might be observed of a string vibrating in the second harmonic?
- How would the closeness of nodes in various standing wave patterns be mathematically related to the relative frequencies of those patterns?
- How are the frequencies of the various harmonics of instrument related to each other?