A guitar string 0.65 m long vibrates in its fundamental mode with wave speed 260 m/s (fundamental: λ = 2L). What is its frequency, in Hz? Set the slider to your answer.

Practice question · Estimate

A guitar string 0.65 m long vibrates in its fundamental mode with wave speed 260 m/s (fundamental: $\lambda = 2L$ ). What is its frequency, in Hz? Set the slider to your answer.

Estimate on a scale from 0 to 500.

Hints

The fundamental fits half a wavelength between the fixed ends: $\lambda = 2L = 1.3$ m.
$f = v/\lambda = 260/1.3$ .

Show the answer

200 (answers within ±6 count)

Why

$f = 260/1.3 = 200$ Hz. Every fretted note is this same computation: shortening $L$ (fretting) or raising $v$ (tuning tighter) raises the pitch.

The app has 9 more questions on this lesson, and keeps your place in the course. Physics I is free to start.