Tuning Fork Physics: Impact of Wax on Vibration Frequency

[Plutonium-94]

Question- when wax is applied to the surface of a tuning fork, will the number of vibrations produced per second: increase, decrease, or remain constant? Explanation would be accepted gratefully

 

[Astronuc]

What happens when one adds mass to a vibrating mechanical system?

 

[m2003]

The number of vibrations produced per second, also known as the frequency, will decrease when wax is applied to the surface of a tuning fork. This is because the wax adds mass to the tuning fork, making it harder for the fork to vibrate at its natural frequency. As a result, the frequency of the tuning fork will be lower, and the vibrations will be slower and less intense. This phenomenon is known as damping, where the energy of the vibrations is dissipated due to the added mass. Therefore, the impact of wax on the vibration frequency of a tuning fork is to decrease it. This can be observed by comparing the sound produced by a tuning fork with and without wax, where the sound will be lower and shorter in duration when wax is present. Further experiments can be conducted to measure and analyze the exact decrease in frequency caused by the wax, providing a deeper understanding of the impact of wax on the vibration frequency of a tuning fork.