MadSci Network: Physics
Query:

Re: How does air temperature affect the frequency of sound waves?

Date: Fri Feb 2 13:37:36 2001
Posted By: John Link, Physics
Area of science: Physics
ID: 980829955.Ph
Message:

One of the fundamental properties of a wave is frequency, and normal phenomena do not it. There are phenomena (Doppler effect, nonlinear media) which can affect frequency, but I don't think that's what you have in mind.

The most important effect of temperature in your experiment is the change in density of the air, which affects the speed of the sound waves. However, the frequency will not change. But, if you were to make a tube (long pipe, for instance) and measure the fundamental resonant mode of the sound waves in it, a change in temperature (and thus a change in the wave speed) will affect the fundamental (first harmonic) frequency of the tube, but not very much.

For more details on the resonant frequency of tubes, look in any Physics textbook.

John Link, MadSci Physicist




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