The Resonance Air Column emits a very loud sound when the plunger is moved to a node position. It works as well as a water column but without the mess. The secret is in the long molded piston head which is very efficient in reflecting the sound waves.
This system is ruggedly designed and precisely engineered. It has a polycarbonate tube which will not crack or chip like inferior acrylic and the plunger handle is made of flexible acetyl so it will stand up to years of lab use.
The Resonance Tube includes eight plastic snap-on rings which can be sled along the tube to mark the nodes. Then a meter stick is used to read the positions of the rings. It can be used as a closed or open tube. In the closed mode, tuning forks or speakers are suitable for sound sources. In the open mode, a speaker with a signal generator is required to vary the frequency until the tube sounds a resonance.
The Mini Speaker is made to fit with the Resonance Air Column. It can be powered with a function generator or a 550 or 850 Universal Interface. It is also useful as a stand-alone speaker for doing interference demonstrations. Two of the essentially point sources can output the same frequency and the spatial interference pattern can be explored.
Note: If the Resonance Tube is to be used with data collection and analysis software (SPARKvue or PASCO Capstone) a 550 or 850 interface is required.
