The physics behind a glockenspiel (a type of xylophone)??

[cscX]

Can someone please tell me how a glockenspiel works and the physics behind it :/

Please I really need help

[ydoaPs]

When one strikes the metal plates, they vibrate. These vibrations transfer energy to the air, causing vibrations in the air. These vibrations in the air are what the brain perceives as sound.

[cscX]

Thank you so much!

Would you say that the wavelength of these bars vibrating in the fundamental mode is given by λ= 2L where L is the length of the bar? or is it λ=4L since frequency=1/4λ

[swansont]

Perhaps you can come to this conclusion yourself. You have to realize that the mounting points of the bar have to be nodes in order for the apparatus to work properly, since the vibrations will be a standing wave.

 

For [math]\lambda = 2L[/math] the nodes have to be on the end of the bar. Is that how they are mounted?

 

For [math]\lambda = 4L[/math], where would the nodes be? I think you have to go shorter, not longer. Consider that the speed of sound in a metal is much larger than in air, so the wavelength is correspondingly shorter.

[thedarkshade]

When one strikes the metal plates, they vibrate. These vibrations transfer energy to the air, causing vibrations in the air. These vibrations in the air are what the brain perceives as sound.

Exactly! Waves (or sound) after all are vibrations of molecules in elastic medium! And a wave spread can otherwise be understood as the energy transfer from one molecule to another! One thing that must be understood about wave is the wave source and the interesting thing is that the wave source does not necessarily vibrate, it only rotates!

 

There are also other important term related with the physics of waves like wavelength, amplitude, frequency, period, wave phase, wave speed etc. If you want any further explanation cscX related to these, just let me know!

[swansont]

One thing that must be understood about wave is the wave source and the interesting thing is that the wave source does not necessarily vibrate, it only rotates!

 

Can you explain what you mean by this?