Investigating collisional broadening of spectral lines using a tuning fork: An undergraduate laboratory

Authors
Boreen, AL Coons, RL Ulness, DJ Luther, BA
Citation
Al. Boreen et al., Investigating collisional broadening of spectral lines using a tuning fork: An undergraduate laboratory, AM J PHYS, 68(8), 2000, pp. 768-771
Citations number
3
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
ISSN journal
00029505 → ACNP
Volume
68
Issue
8
Year of publication
2000
Pages
768 - 771
Database
ISI
SICI code
0002-9505(200008)68:8<768:ICBOSL>2.0.ZU;2-Y
Abstract
An intuitive laboratory experiment designed to study the phenomenon of coll isional (or pressure) broadening is presented. Molecular collisions are mod eled by striking a tuning fork with a mallet. The response of the tuning fo rk is recorded via microphone by a computer. These time domain data can be transformed numerically to reveal the frequency spectrum. Results correspon ding to a range of pressures from 0 to 111 kPA are presented. (C) 2000 Amer ican Association of Physics Teachers.