Question

A tuning fork produces 4 beats per second with another tuning fork of frequency 256 Hz. The first one is now loaded with a little wax and the beat frequency is found to increase to 6 per second. What was the original frequency of the tuning fork?

Answer 1

With the loading of wax the frequency of a tuning fork decreases. Since the beat frequency is the difference of the two frequencies, the frequency of the first tuning fork is less than the second because after wax loading the first the beat frequency increases (i.e. the difference of the two frequencies increases). Thus the original frequency of the tuning fork = 256 - 4 Hz = 252 Hz.