Formation of waves in a tuning fork

Formation of waves in a tuning fork

When we strike a tuning fork on a rubber pad, the prongs of the tuning fork vibrate about their mean positions. The prong vibrating about a mean position means moving outward and inward, as indicated in the Figure 11.5. When a prong moves outward, it pushes the layer of air in its neighbourhood which means there is more accumulation of air molecules in this region. Hence, the density and also the pressure increase. These regions are known as compressed regions or compressions. This compressed air layer moves forward and compresses the next neighbouring layer in a similar manner. Thus a wave of compression advances or passes through air. When the prong moves inwards, the particles of the medium are moved to the right. In this region both density and pressure are low. It is known as a rarefaction or elongation.