Some of the lowest pitches attainable on a musical instrument are achieved on the world's largest pipe organs.What is the length of an organ pipe that is open on both ends and has a fundamental frequency of 8.75 Hz when the speed of sound in air is 341 m/s?
A)9.83 m
B)19.5 m
C)21.2 m
D)29.3 m
E)32.4 m

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The formula for the fundamental frequency of an open pipe is f = nv/2L, where n is the harmonic number, v is the speed of sound in air, and L is the length of the pipe. Since we're looking for the fundamental frequency (n = 1), we can rearrange the formula to solve for L:
L = nv/2f
Plugging in the given values, we get:
L = (1)(341 m/s)/(2(8.75 Hz))
L = 19.5 m
Therefore, the length of the organ pipe is 19.5 m, which corresponds to a very low pitch. The correct answer is B.

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