Q. To raise the pitch of a stringed musical instrument the player can
A) Loosen the string
B) Tighten the string
C) Shorten the string
D) Both (b) and (c)
Explanation
(d) Higher pitch means higher frequency
Frequency of a stringed system is given by
$n = \frac{p}{2l}\sqrt{\frac{T}{m}} \Rightarrow n \propto \frac{\sqrt{T}}{l}$
Hence, to get higher frequency (higher pitch) tension should be increase and length should be shorten
Reviewed by Dr. Abubacker
Physics Educator & NEET/JEE Specialist
Ph.D. in Physics with 19+ years of teaching experience.