tuning fork

device used to produce a fixed tone

AI overview

A tuning fork is a small metal device shaped like a fork that vibrates to produce a fixed musical tone. It's useful for tuning musical instruments and checking if they're playing at the correct pitch.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Material used: metallic material
Image: Diapason elettromagnetico, da 128 Hz - Museo scienza tecnologia Milano 04221 01.jpg
Has use: musical tuning

Show 5 more facts

different from: Camerton
Commons category: Tuning forks
Commons gallery: Tuning fork
discoverer or inventor: John Shore
produced sound: pure tone

Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~11 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Tuning fork by John Walker stamped with note (E) and frequency in hertz (659)

A tuning fork is an acoustic resonator in the form of a two-pronged fork with the prongs (tines) formed from a U-shaped bar of elastic metal (usually steel). It resonates at a specific constant pitch when set vibrating by striking it against a surface or with an object, and emits a pure musical tone once the high overtones fade out. A tuning fork's pitch depends on the length and mass of the two prongs. They are traditional sources of standard pitch for tuning musical instruments.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “tuning fork” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.