Q.How are stationary waves formed in closed pipes? Explain the various modes of vibrations and obtain relations for their frequencies. A closed organ pipe 70 cm long is sounded. If the velocity of sound is 331 m/s, what is the fundamental frequency of vibration of the air column?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →In a closed organ pipe, the closed end is always a node and the open end an antinode, which permits only odd harmonics (n₁, 3n₁, 5n₁, ...); the fundamental frequency is v/4L, giving about 118.2 Hz for this 70 cm pipe.
Formation of stationary waves in a closed pipe
When sound waves are sent into a pipe closed at one end, the wave travelling down the pipe reflects at the closed end (undergoing a phase reversal there) and travels back, superposing with the incoming wave. This superposition of two waves of the same frequency travelling in opposite directions sets up a stationary (standing) wave inside the air column.
Boundary conditions:
- At the closed end, air molecules cannot move (they are constrained by the rigid boundary), so there is always a displacement node (and a pressure antinode) there.
- At the open end, air molecules can vibrate freely with maximum amplitude, so there is (approximately) a displacement antinode there.
Modes of vibration
Fundamental mode (first harmonic): the simplest standing wave pattern has one node at the closed end and one antinode at the open end, with the distance between a node and the adjacent antinode being . So:
Higher (overtone) modes: additional node-antinode pairs can fit if the pipe length equals an odd number of quarter wavelengths:
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