Eisco Labs Melde’s Vibrating String Apparatus

Description

Melde’s Vibrating String experiment is an elegant way to introduce students to the concept of standing waves. The apparatus consists of a string and an oscillator to generate different frequencies. Melde’s experiment is ideal to study the behavior of standing waves. Students can even visually determine wavelength, period and amplitude of waves.

A string undergoing transverse vibration illustrates many features common to all vibrating acoustic systems just like the vibrations of a violin or guitar string. To adjust the tension of the string, various amounts of mass can be placed in the tray that hangs off the side of a table or lab bench with the use of the included pulley. In this experiment the change in frequency produced when the tension is increased in the string – similar to the change in pitch when a guitar string is tuned – can be measured.

Requires 6 V, 50 Hz power source, supplied to Melde’s apparatus via 4mm plug leads.