When you blow gently across the top of a particular soda bottle, it emits a tone. The column of air in the bottle is vibrating up and down in its fundamental mode. If you replace the air in the bottle with something heavier than air (like carbon dioxide) and then blow gently across the top of the bottle, it will emit
A) a higher pitched tone.
B) a tone at the same pitch as before.
C) no sound at all.
D) a lower pitched tone.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The speed of sound in a medium is affected by the density of the medium. Heavier gases like carbon dioxide have a higher density than air, which lowers the speed of sound within them. When the speed of sound is lower, the wavelength of the sound waves produced in the same size container (like the soda bottle) is shorter, resulting in a lower frequency or pitch of the sound. Therefore, replacing air with a heavier gas like carbon dioxide in the bottle will cause it to emit a lower pitched tone when blown across.

When You Blow Gently Across the Top of a Particular