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Home Minds On Sounds Waves Mission SM5 Resonance and Standing Wave Patterns Help Help 4

Mission SM5 Resonance and Standing Wave Patterns

The Question

The fundamental frequency of a guitar string is _____.

Define Help

Definition of Fundamental Frequency:
The fundamental frequency of a string or air column is the lowest possible frequency in the set of natural frequencies at which that string or air column will vibrate.

Think About It

Every object has a natural frequency or a set of natural frequencies at which it tends to vibrate at. When struck, plucked, strummed or somehow disturbed, the object will vibrate at one of the natural frequencies in its set of natural frequencies. The fundamental frequency is simply the lowest frequency value in the set of natural frequencies at which the object tends to vibrate. The other frequencies in the set of natural frequencies are simply whole number multiples of the fundamental frequency.

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