Two hunting forks are struck at the same time. One tuning fork has a frequency of 20 Hz while the second fork has a frequency of 226 Hz. How many beats will result?
To determine the number of beats that will result when two tuning forks are struck at the same time, you need to find the difference between their frequencies. This difference is known as the beat frequency.
The beat frequency (b) is given by the absolute value of the difference between the frequencies of the two tuning forks:
b = |f₁ - f₂|
In this case, the frequencies of the two tuning forks are 20 Hz and 226 Hz. So, the beat frequency is:
b = |20 Hz - 226 Hz|
b = |(-206 Hz)| (taking the absolute value)
Therefore, the beat frequency is 206 Hz.
The number of beats that will result depends on the time for which the tuning forks are struck. The number of beats is equal to the beat frequency multiplied by the time duration:
Number of beats = beat frequency × time duration
If you have the time duration for which the tuning forks are struck, you can plug in the beat frequency and calculate the number of beats.