Eisco Labs Meldes Vibrating String Apparatus

EISCO Melde’s Vibrating String Apparatus

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.