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5.4 plan and perform a first-hand investigation to gather data to identify the relationship between wave-length frequency and pitch of a sound
plan and perform a first-hand investigation to gather data to identify the relationship between wave-length, frequency and pitch of a sound
Background
A Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO) is a device which is used to display the nature of waves on a screen. You should have done an experiment using an oscilloscope .You can find instructions for setting up a CRO at Using an Oscilloscope
Doctronics Educational. If you do not have access to a CRO download the oscilloscope from this webpage and enter sound through your computer microphone. Virtual oscilloscope
. Peter Debik.
- Short wavelength waves have high frequencies and higher pitch. Long wavelength waves have low frequencies and lower pitch.
- Plan the investigation to identify the relationship between wavelength, frequency and pitch.
- To perform this investigation you could input sounds from a musical instrument or other source of sound into the CRO or virtual CRO via a microphone. The CRO will convert the sounds to a voltage which can be displayed on the screen. Varying the pitch of the sound will cause a change in the frequency and wavelength of the wave displayed.
- Gather the first hand data by using appropriate technology, either a CRO or the digital CRO from the Internet.
- You could record your results as a series of diagrams. Prepare diagrams to compare sounds of high pitch to those of low pitch. What happens to wavelength and frequency as pitch increases? Use this link as a starting point.
Pitch and frequency
The Physics Classroom, Glenbrook High School District 225, Glenfield, Illinois, USA.