Question

When two strings of equal length on a guitar are played, two different pitches are heard. Comparing the waves on the lower pitch string to the higher, the waves on the higher pitch string have:

a) Longer wavelength
b) Shorter wavelength
c) Equal wavelength
d) Variable wavelength

Answer 1

For two guitar strings of equal length, the string with the higher pitch has shorter wavelengths because frequency and wavelength are inversely related and the wave speed remains constant.

Step-by-step explanation:

When two strings of equal length on a guitar are played and produce two different pitches, the string that produces the higher pitch will have shorter wavelengths of waves on it. This is because, for a given speed of wave on the string, the frequency and wavelength are inversely related, as described by the wave equation Vw = fa, where Vw is the speed of the wave, f is the frequency, and a is the wavelength. A higher frequency, which corresponds to a higher pitch perceived as sound, thus necessitates a shorter wavelength if the speed of the wave on the string is constant. Therefore, the correct selection in this case is option b) Shorter wavelength.