Tuning Fork Lab

Guiding Question: How does the density of a material affect the properties of sound travelling from a tuning fork?
Hypothesis: The denser the material, the softer/lower the sound
Materials:
1. tuning forks: 512, 320
2. table
3. wooden stool
4. radiator
5. plastic tub
6. white board
7. locker
Procedure:
1. Take the first tuning fork (512) and hit it on the first material. Listen to how loud the sound is. Do this with all of the materials and order them from quietest to loudest in a graph. Find the density of all of the materials you hit the tuning fork on, and determine whether the density had effect on the loudness of the sound.
2. Continue testing with the same materials and and a different tuning fork (320). Graph results.

512	oak table (0.65 grams per cubic cm.)	Locker (7.859 grams per cubic cm.)	white board (0.57 grams per cubic cm.)
OBSERVATIONS	lower than 320, quieter than 312	lower than 320, metallic sound, traveled fast was relatively quiet, echoey	lower than 320, LOUD
320	oak table (0.65 grams per cubic cm.)	locker	white board (0.57 grams per cubic cm.)
OBSERVATIONS	higher than 512, louder than 512	higher than 512, metallic sound, travelled faster than table	higher than 512, quieter, a bit more intense

Conclusion:

Our guiding question was "how does the density of a material affect the properties of sound travelling from a tuning fork?". From the data that we gathered, I can tell a couple of different things. It seems that in most cases, the denser an object is the more difficult it is for a wave to travel through, thus making the sound slower. There are of course some mediums this doesnt apply to, steel is dense, but is very elastic so even though it is dense it travels faster. Our hypothesis is correct from the knowledge we had, from just looking at density out hypothesis was completely correct.

Further Inquiry:

I think that our testing proved the point, but was not as precise as it could be. If i were to do another test with tuning forks i would research how to properly use them to show the difference in difference densities better. If i were to redo this lab again i would be more creative, i would look at many different materials and try to connect some real life applications. I think the only thing i would have done better is following rules well.