Elephants can create and detect infrasonic sounds-sounds of frequencies lower than about 20 Hz-which can travel long distances. They create these sounds using the cavity that extends from their larynx to the tip of their long trunk. Consider this cavity as a cylindrical air column, of length 4.78 m

Question

Hillary Oconnell

Physics

23 December, 15:57

Elephants can create and detect infrasonic sounds-sounds of frequencies lower than about 20 Hz-which can travel long distances. They create these sounds using the cavity that extends from their larynx to the tip of their long trunk. Consider this cavity as a cylindrical air column, of length 4.78 m

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Answers (1)

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Conrad Sellers · Answer 1

f = 17.26 Hz

Explanation:

To find the fundamental frequency of the vibration produced by elephants, approaching the trunk as a system closed at one end and open at the other, the fundamental wavelength is

λ = 4 L fundamental

λ = 4L / 3 third harmonic

In this case the melt wavelength is

λ = 4 4.78

λ = 19.12 m

Now let's use the ratio of the speed of sound to the frequency and wavelength

v = λ f

f = v / λ

f = 330 / 19.12

f = 17.26 Hz

This is the lowest frequency elephants can produce