Playing these tuning forks allows us to directly compare how the density and elastic modulus of each material affects the sound the fork produces.

Each of the set of tuning forks is the exact same shape, but is made from a different material (an array of metals, woods, plastics and glass). Three principle factors influence the production of sound by a tuning fork: the shape of the fork, and the density and elastic modulus (a measure of stiffness) of the material from which the fork is made. Together they investigate the acoustic properties of materials and demonstrate the physics of sound and vibration. This glass tuning fork is one of a set of 16 made in 2009 by our Director Zoe Laughlin as part of her PhD research. The applications all rely on the fact that when a tuning fork is struck, that energy is converted into vibrational energy, and its tines oscillate at a particular frequency to produce a specific pitch of note. They can also apparently be used by medics to detect a bone fracture in a pinch if no x-ray is available.

They are used by audiologists to test for certain kinds of hearing loss, by the police to calibrate the radar guns used to identify speeding vehicles, and by alternative healers as an (unproven) way of improving mental clarity and physical energy. Tuning forks are so named because they are used to help tune musical instruments, but they also have a variety of other uses.

High frequency tuning fork