An air column inside a straight pipe can sustain stationary waves when suitably excited

PHYSICS · Subjective · A Level · Physics · Waves · Waves

Problem

An air column inside a straight pipe can sustain stationary waves when suitably excited. (a) With the help of neatly labelled sketches, depict the standing-wave patterns for (i) the fundamental mode and (ii) the first two overtones produced in a pipe open at both ends of length LL. (b) Repeat part (a) for a pipe of the same length but closed at one end. (c) Giving reason based on the boundary conditions that exist at the ends of a closed pipe, explain why only odd-numbered harmonics are possible in such a pipe.

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