# Harmonics



## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Ok so i'm need of some help with understanding Harmonics and their main harmonics.

I have a question which asks: The fundamental frequency of the waveform is 1kHz.The frequency of the main Harmonic is most like to be?

(Sine wave btw)

How do you work out the main harmonic? and i'm guessing its different for different waves?.


----------



## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

Find a violinist if you truly want to understand it. Seriously -- my middle school violin students understand sine-wave harmonics, partials, and wave interactions/differences (once I'm done with 'em, anyhow!) better than some of the freshmen I took physics with at Johns Hopkins a decade+ ago (granted, we had the lacrosse scholarship athletes in our lecture, so.....).

Harmonic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia gets you on your way.


----------



## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

The wiki page doesn't explain different waves. Nor MAIN harmonics :\.


----------



## jaythorpe522 (Sep 7, 2010)

By different waves do you mean different types of waves (sine, square, triangle) or different frequencies of Sine wave? 'cause a Sine wave is a sine wave...

As for the terminology, I'm not sure what you mean by "Main Harmonic". In music, we are supposed to refer to the fundamental as the first harmonic and the first overtone as the second harmonic, tho' some of us prefer to use 'overtone' and 'harmonic' interchangeably. For physics, I honestly don't remember if there was specific terminology. But I don't know if I've ever heard "main harmonic"; I guess it depends on the device generating the wave what the 'main' harmonic will be.

e.g. string instruments, the first overtone/second harmonic would generally have the greatest amplitude (after, of course, the fundamental) so might be the 'main' harmonic?? However, either single- or double-reeded instruments (I just plain forget) present a closed system of some sort, the air column actually vibrates in thirds, and so the third harmonic/second overtone ie expressed louder. I think it's single-reeds that do this. Man, I used to know everything, now I just know that I once knew it 

Got any context for the question? General wonderment?


----------

