Tuning Forks and Stands for showing Lissajou's Figures

Made:
1870 in London
maker:
William Ladd

Tuning forks and stands for showing Lissajous’ figures, wood and brass, London, 1870.

Set of tuning forks, made by London-based instrument maker William Ladd. Tuning forks emit a pure musical tone when struck. The tone a fork produces depends on the length and mass of the prongs, which are inversely related to their frequency. These tuning forks were created to show Lissajous figures, curved patterns that vary according to the frequency at which the fork vibrates. As part of the standardisation of acoustic science, tuning forks, particularly Lissajous’ tuning forks, were used for to visualise and analyse sound vibration. Lissajous’ figures established a visual representation of known acoustic frequencies, allowing them to be compared with unknown patterns.

Details

Category:
Acoustics
Object Number:
1872-4
Materials:
mahogany (wood), wood (unidentified), brass (copper, zinc alloy) and paper (fibre product)
Measurements:
overall (closed): 105 mm x 495 mm x 175 mm,
type:
tuning forks
credit:
Ladd, W.

Parts