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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?

Telangana TsbieTelangana Board of Intermediate Education 2025Subjective· 8mImportance★★★★★
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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 λ/4\lambda/4. So:

L=λ14  ⟹  λ1=4LL = \frac{\lambda_1}{4} \implies \lambda_1 = 4L

n1=vλ1=v4Ln_1 = \frac{v}{\lambda_1} = \frac{v}{4L}

Higher (overtone) modes: additional node-antinode pairs can fit if the pipe length equals an odd number of quarter wavelengths:

L=(2p−1)λp4,p=1,2,3,…L = (2p-1)\frac{\lambda_p}{4}, \quad p = 1, 2, 3, \dots

np=(2p−1)v4L=(2p−1) n1n_p = (2p-1)\frac{v}{4L} = (2p-1)\,n_1

…

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