======Tuning Fork on Bench======


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**Alternative titles:** Tuning Fork Resonance, Amplifying Sound with a Surface
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Strike a tuning fork gently against a rubber stopper or soft surface to make it vibrate.
  - Hold the vibrating tuning fork in the air and have students listen to its faint sound.
  - Press the base of the vibrating tuning fork onto a wooden bench or tabletop.
  - Ask students to compare the sound level before and after contact with the bench.
  - Explain how the bench amplifies the sound through resonance and forced vibration.




====Links==== 


====Variations====
  * Try placing the tuning fork on different surfaces (wood, metal, plastic, hollow box) to compare sound amplification.
  * Place the tuning fork against a hollow object (such as an empty box or container) for even greater amplification.
  * Test tuning forks of different frequencies to explore how pitch interacts with resonance.
  * Compare a speaker producing sound, with placing it on a solid bench.




====Safety Precautions====
  * Strike the tuning fork against a rubber pad, not hard objects, to avoid damage.





====Questions to Consider====
  * Why does the tuning fork sound louder on the bench than in the air?
  * What role does resonance play in this demonstration?
  * How is this similar to the way musical instruments amplify sound?
  * What kind of surfaces produced the loudest sound, and why?