Standing Waves in Air - PHY 142/162 Lab
Measuring the Speed of Waves in an Air Column
Lab Report Outline
Introduction & Background: We measured v, the speed of waves in
a column of air, to see if v is constant for different waves. What
quantities were measured, and how? What other concepts and
equations did we use to find the velocity from the measurements?
We compare our experimental result to the standard value for the
speed of sound in air. What determines the speed of sound in air?
What are the conditions of our experiment that might affect the
speed of sound? What is the standard value, under those conditions?
Data: Table, Graph 1 (f vs. n);
Graph 2 (Summary, not provided)
Analysis
a) Quote vavg, %Var(vn), %Unc(max).
Is %Var < %Unc?
b) Quote vslope, %Diff(vslope, vavg).
Is %Diff < Max(%Unc, %Var)?
Conclusions
a) Is v constant?
b) Is vslope consistent with vavg?
c) Provide overall experimental result: V ± V.
d) Quote the standard value: vst. (What is the source?)
e) Is the experimental result consistent with vst?
If not, why might this be so, based on real physics?
Selected Questions 1 & 2 (See instructions.)