I would like to ask, what makes the pan flute have different pitches?

Question

could someone please help me understand the Physics behind it? 

I know it's something about the air columns and the vibrations of the air particles so when the sound waves travel further they have longer wavelengths, therefore lower frequencies (because it's the same medium, the speed does not change), so the pitch is lowered?

btw, I am not asking about how to make pan flutes or what length to use, just how it works!

thanks :D

antorfeit · Accepted Answer

Yep, you got it right.
And you can easily see this in the Doppler Effect (As an object, like a car, approaches you, the air is condensing in front of it and the sound waves are shorting, so it sounds like it's getting higher as it approaches you. BUT when it passes the air is less condensed behind the car and the waves travel longer to reach you, making it sound lower) (A cool way to measure Weather)
OR Red Shift (Same principle but with light objects coming out you appear red because of  shorter wavelengths and Blue as they move away, because their wavelength are longer) (A cool way to measure cosmic bodies)

I would like to ask, what makes the pan flute have different pitches?

1 Answer