Physics: Sound Beats

Objectives

• Students will determine the frequency conditions that are necessary to produce sound beats.
• Students will relate graphical and algebraic representations of sound beats produced by two tuning forks.
• Students will derive formulas for the wave and beat frequencies in terms of the frequencies of the tuning forks.

Vocabulary

• amplitude
• beat frequency
• empirical
• period
• pressure
• sine wave
• sound beats
• sound wave
• superposition
• tuning
• wave frequency

About the Lesson

In this activity, students explore graphical and algebraic representations of sound beats produced by two tuning forks and investigate the frequency conditions that are necessary to produce sound beats.
As a result, students will:

• derive formulas for the wave and beat frequencies in terms of the frequencies of the tuning forks.
• apply their understanding of sound beats to problem solving.