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Two transverse standing waves are shown in the drawing. The strings have the sam

ID: 2193907 • Letter: T

Question

Two transverse standing waves are shown in the drawing. The strings have the same tension and length, but the bottom string is more massive. Which standing wave, if either, is vibrating at the higher frequency? Both standing waves have the same frequency, because the frequency of vibration does not depend on the mass of the string. The bottom standing wave has the higher frequency because the traveling waves have a larger speed due to the larger mass of the string. The top standing wave has the higher frequency because the traveling waves have a larger speed due to the smaller mass of the string. The top standing wave has the higher frequency because the traveling waves have a smaller speed due to the smaller mass of the string. The bottom standing wave has the higher frequency because the traveling waves have a smaller speed due to the larger mass of the string.

Explanation / Answer

The top standing wave has the higher frequency because the traveling waves have a larger speed due to the smaller mass of the string.