MUSIC AND PHYSICS
TENSION
IN
PHYSICS, TENSION IS FORCE THAT IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH A STRING, ROPE,
CABLE, OR WIRE WHEN IT IS TIGHTLY PULLED BY FORCES ACTING FROM OPPOSITE
ENDS. EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT CONSIDERED A FORCE, TENSION IN MEASURED IN NEWTONS. WHEN TENSION OCCURS, THE MORE FORCE YOU EXERT MEANS A HIGHER TENSION. WHEN AN OBJECT IS UNDER TENSION, IT WILL EXERT AN OPPOSITE FORCE ON THE OBJECT PROVIDING THE FORCE. FOR EXAMPLE, IF A PERSON PULLS A STRING TOWARDS THEMSELVES, THE STRING WILL PULL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE FORMULA FOR TENSION IS T= (MxG)+(MxA) WHERE M IS MASS, G IS GRAVITY, AND A IS ACCELERATION.
examples in music
TWO OF THE MOST POPULAR INSTRUMENTS IN MUSIC, THE GUITAR AND BASS, HAVE TENSION. WHEN IT'S STRINGS ARE PLUCKED OR STRUMMED, THE PLAYER IS EXERTING FORCE BY PULLING ON THE STRINGS. THE HARDER OR FASTER A GUITAR OR BASS PLAYER PICKS OR STRUMS THE GUITAR STRINGS, THE MORE TENSION WILL BE EXERTED ON THE STRINGS.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. WHERE IS MORE TENSION EXERTED IN THE SONG: THE INTRODUCTION WITH BASS OR THE CHORUS WITH GUITAR? WHY?
A: THE CHORUS BECAUSE THERE IS MORE FORCE EXERTED ONTO THE STRINGS.
2. IF SOMEONE WERE TO STRUM A GUITAR WITH A MASS OF 5 KG AND WITH AN ACCELERATION OF .05 M/S SQUARED, WHAT WOULD THE TENSION BE?
A: 50.25 N
A: THE CHORUS BECAUSE THERE IS MORE FORCE EXERTED ONTO THE STRINGS.
2. IF SOMEONE WERE TO STRUM A GUITAR WITH A MASS OF 5 KG AND WITH AN ACCELERATION OF .05 M/S SQUARED, WHAT WOULD THE TENSION BE?
A: 50.25 N