Question
Why is the sound produced by a tambourine different from that produced by drums?
Final Answer
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Solution video
OpenStax College Physics for AP® Courses, Chapter 16, Problem 21 (Test Prep for AP® Courses)
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Video Transcript
This is College Physics Answers with Shaun Dychko. The main difference between the tambourine and the big drum is the size. And so because the tambourine is small, it's going to have a resident frequency that is small, like the fundamental frequency that can fit in this drum skin on the top here is going to have a node on each end. And so this is the maximum or the longest half wave length you could have. The wavelength would be this. Now, on a big drum, you can have a half wavelength fitting over this much larger diameter. And so, it's going to have a deeper sound. And that's the main difference. And the other differences can come from the types of material that the tambourine and the drum made out of. That also affects the timber which is a way of talking about the quality of the sound. The size will affect the frequency. And the materials will affect the timber.