Asked in MDCAT Test Series 5 — Waves and Thermodynamics (7 March 2025) 2025Moderate

The stationary waves can be set up on the string only with the frequencies of harmonic series determined by:

Correct answer: A. The tension, length and mass per unit length of the string

  • A. The tension, length and mass per unit length of the string
  • B. The tension and mass per unit length of the string only
  • C. The length and mass per unit length of the string only
  • D. The tension and length of the string only

Explanation

The following is the solution: The frequencies of the harmonic series on a string are determined by the length of the string (L), the tension in the string (T), and the mass per unit length of the string (μ). The frequencies of the harmonic series on a string can be calculated using the following formula:fₙ = (1 / 2L) * √(T / μ) * nwhere:fₙ is the frequency of the nth harmonic,L is the length of the string,T is the tension in the string, andμ is the mass per unit length of the string.The term √(T / μ) represents the wave speed (v) on the string. Therefore, the formula can also be written as:fₙ = (n / 2L) * vSo, to summarise, the frequencies of the harmonic series on a string are determined by the length of the string (L), the tension in the string (T), and the mass per unit length of the string (μ).

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About Stationary Waves

Stationary waves form when two waves of the same frequency and amplitude travel in opposite directions and interfere. The topic covers nodes, antinodes, wavelength, phase, resonance, and the allowed frequencies on strings and in air columns. Unlike progressive waves, stationary waves do not transfer energy from one point to another.

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