How Does a Tuning Fork Work?
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Tuning Fork Basics
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A tuning fork is a device consisting of two parallel prongs in a "U" shape which resonates at a certain pitch when it vibrates. Tuning forks are constructed from metal, often steel, and are useful because due to their rigidity and construction, they produce a very pure tone, which does not tend to deviate over time due to usage, temperature or other factors. The frequency of the tuning fork (the speed at which it vibrates) determines the tone it produces, and the frequency is determined by the dimensions of the fork's tines and the materials used in its construction. Longer tines will vibrate more slowly, producing lower pitched tones, as will tines created from more dense materials.
How a Tuning Fork Generates Sound
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To generate pitch, a tuning fork must be struck in order to make the tines of the fork vibrate. When the energy of an impact strikes a tuning fork, the two tines begin to wiggle quickly inward and outward. When the fork's tines move outward, the force air molecules quickly congregate and move away, and when they move inward, they create a gap where molecules are less densely packed. As this action continues at a very high rate, it creates an audible sound wave. Another key part of fork construction is that while the tines move in and out rapidly to create a sound wave, the handle vibrates very little, allowing the fork to be held while vibrating without significantly reducing the sound it makes.
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Tuning Fork Applications
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The primary use for tuning forks is in precisely tuning musical instruments. Since tuning forks create a very exact pitch and do not deviate from that pitch, they can be used as a standard to which all instruments in an orchestra can be set in order to stay in harmony with one another. Tuning forks can also be adjusted to produce different tones by adding or taking away filling materials or sliding weights along the tines, in order to later their vibration frequency. Tuning forks have also been used in watches, in medical therapy and to test for hearing problems.
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