What is the term for the phenomenon that occurs when a column of air vibrates at the same frequency as a tuning fork?

• A. Resonance
• B. Diffraction
• C. Refraction
• D. Interference

Answer: (A)

Resonance is the phenomenon that happens when the frequency of an external driving force matches the natural frequency of a system, causing large-amplitude vibrations because energy is transferred efficiently. Here, the tuning fork provides the driving frequency, and the column of air has its own natural frequencies based on its length and boundary conditions. When the air column’s natural frequency lines up with the tuning fork’s frequency, the column absorbs energy from the fork and vibrates more strongly, amplifying the sound. Other terms describe different wave behaviors: diffraction is about bending around barriers, refraction is about bending at boundaries between media due to speed changes, and interference involves the superposition of waves that can reinforce or cancel each other, but resonance specifically involves matching frequencies to maximize vibration.