Two violinists are trying to tune their instruments in an orchestra.One is producing the desired frequency of 440.0 Hz.The other is producing a frequency of 448.4 Hz.By what percentage should the out-of-tune musician change the tension in his string to bring his instrument into tune at 440.0 Hz?
A) +1.9%
B) -1.9%
C) +3.7%
D) -3.7%
E) +8.4%

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the percentage change needed in tension, we can use the formula:
% Change = (|new frequency - old frequency|/old frequency) x 100%
% Change = (|440.0 - 448.4|/448.4) x 100%
% Change = 1.9%
However, since the frequency is higher than 440.0 Hz, we need to decrease it, which means we need a negative percentage change. Therefore, the answer is -1.9%, which is option D.

Two Violinists Are Trying to Tune Their Instruments in an Orchestra.One