KinexiaLEARN PHYSICS

Wave Period — Tuning Fork (Worked Example)

Easy
Problem

A concert-A tuning fork vibrates at 440 Hz. What is the period of a single vibration?

Given

  • f = 440 Hz

Find

The period T.

Principle

Period and frequency are reciprocals: T = 1/f. Higher pitch means shorter period.

Formula

Solution

  1. Write the formula: T=1/fT = 1/f

  2. Substitute: T=1/440T = 1/440

  3. Calculate: T=0.00227 s=2.27 msT = 0.00227\ \mathrm{s} = 2.27\ \mathrm{ms}

2.27 ms

Unit check

1 ÷ (1/s) = s — a time, correct.

What this means physically

2.27 milliseconds per vibration — the fork completes 440 back-and-forth swings every second, which your ear hears as the pitch A4.

Common mistake

Answering 440 s. Frequency in Hz is already per-second; the period is its reciprocal, a small number — not 440.