Quick Answer: The Organ Pipe Model STEM Lab is a transparent acrylic pipe with a sliding piston, convertible between an open and a closed organ pipe, for studying resonance and standing sound waves. A length scale is printed along the pipe.
Last updated: October 2026
Key Features
Clear acrylic pipe body with stainless steel parts
Converts between open pipe and closed pipe
Sliding piston with a silicone seal changes the air column length
Linear length scale printed on the pipe
Sound source is a tuning fork or a signal generator with a small transducer
Technical Specifications
Specification
Value
Pipe modes
Open and closed (convertible)
Material
Acrylic and stainless steel
Adjustment
Sliding piston with silicone seal
Scale
Linear scale printed on the pipe body
About This Product
A sounding tuning fork is held at the mouth of the pipe while the piston is slid along slowly; a sudden rise in loudness marks a resonance length, which is read from the scale. From these lengths and the known frequency, students work out the speed of sound in air and compare the harmonics and node-antinode patterns of open and closed pipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the closed pipe set up on the Organ Pipe Model STEM Lab?
The far end is left open for an open pipe, or the sliding piston is pushed in to close it.
