Question

Two tuning forks are producing sounds of wavelength 34.50 cm and 33.88 cm simultaneously. Part A How many beats do you hear each second? Express your answer in beats per second. beats/s

Answer 1

To find the number of beats heard per second between two tuning forks with different frequencies, calculate the beat frequency and multiply it by the frequency of one of the tuning forks.

Step-by-step explanation:

1. Calculate the frequencies of the tuning forks:

The speed of sound in air is approximately 343 m/s. We can use this to convert the wavelengths to frequencies:

Frequency of first tuning fork (f1) = v / λ1 = 343 m/s / 0.345 m = 1000 Hz

Frequency of second tuning fork (f2) = v / λ2 = 343 m/s / 0.3388 m = 1011 Hz

2. Calculate the beat frequency:

The beat frequency is the absolute value of the difference between the two tuning fork frequencies:

| Beat frequency | = |f1 - f2| |

| | = |1000 Hz - 1011 Hz| |

| | = |11 Hz|

3. Express the answer in beats per second:

The beat frequency is 11 beats per second.

Therefore, you hear 11 beats per second when the two tuning forks are producing sounds simultaneously.