Final Lab Report June 9, 2016

Thomas Gramitt

Physical Science

Mitchell

The purpose of the lab that was done was to determine the size of the wavelengths of a
guitar string while being fretted on different frets. Group 3 used frets one, three, five, seven, and
nine, on all six strings. Once the group had plucked the string, the data was recorded on a
LabQuest and then written down. Group 3 thought that the higher fret one uses to play a note, the
higher the note would be, and the more hertz it would produce. This information is important to
know because in knowing this, one could have a better understanding of how notes are made not
only on a guitar, but maybe even on a trumpet. The wavelengths change and so does the pitch of
a note depending on how one would let the waves go out.

Before the lab starts, one must get out the proper materials for the lab to commence. The
wavelength lab requires a guitar to play the notes and a LabQuest with a mic to record noises and
turn it into a graph. Once the data is recorded, one will need a paper and pencil to record the
number of hertz the note produces. Once the group has the required materials out, the group will
need to have someone to play the note, someone to record the note on the LabQuest, and
someone to write it all down and put it into chart form. First, the group wants to have someone
with the mic ready to start collecting data, and another to play the note. Once the group member
holding the guitar plays their note, the group member holding the LabQuest will record the data
and the group member with the paper and pencil will put it on the chart. The group will repeat
this process with fretts one, three, five, seven, and nine on two different strings.

Results:

STRING High E B String G String D String A String Low E

String String

1st Fret 351.56hz 237.44hz 195.31hz 156.25hz 234.38hz 546.85hz

3rd Fret 390.62hz 312.50hz 234.38hz 175.78hz 253.91hz 742.19hz

5th Fret 429.69hz 351.56hz 507.81hz 195.31hz 156.25hz 781.25hz

7th Fret 976.56hz 390.62hz 585.94hz 214.84hz 156.25hz 937.50hz

9th Fret 546.89hz 859.37hz 332.03hz 257.91hz 156.25hz 781.25hz

The data collected by Group 3 semi-effectively showed what was going on. The data shows that
when you use a higher fret, the number of hertz (generally) goes up. However, the data collected
by the group was not free of error.

The wavelength lab was successful despite the errors found in the data collected by
Group 3. The hypothesis engendered by Group 3 proved itself to be true, because whenever the
group used a higher fret, the note and number of hertz would go up. Within the time the group
was performing the lab, the group members found that the LabQuest had a tendency to duplicate
results, which they figure is either because of the noise level inside of the room at the time of
collecting data, or simply an error that was caused by the LabQuest not functioning the way it
should have been. This information is important because it can be connected to things we use
everyday, most commonly, musical instruments. Whenever a musical note is played, the note has
a certain wavelength, and with the data collected in this lab, one would have a better
understanding of how these wavelengths work.