tuning fork, steel instrument in the shape of a U with a short handle. When struck it produces an almost pure tone, retaining its pitch over a long period of time; thus it is a valuable aid in tuning musical instruments. It was invented in 1711 by John Shore, who jokingly called it a pitchfork.
tuning fork
tuning fork [′tün·iŋ ‚fȯrk]
Tuning fork
tuning fork
a two-pronged metal fork that when struck produces a pure note of constant specified pitch. It is used to tune musical instruments and in acoustics
tuning fork [′tün·iŋ ‚fȯrk]
(engineering)
A U-shaped bar for hard steel, fused quartz, or other elastic material that vibrates at a definite natural frequency when struck or when set in motion by electromagnetic means; used as a frequency standard.
Tuning fork
A steel instrument consisting of two prongs and a handle which, when struck, emits a tone of fixed pitch. Because of their simple mechanical structure, purity of tone, and constant frequency, tuning forks are widely used as standards of frequency in musical acoustics. In its electrically driven form, a tuning fork serves to control electric circuits by producing frequency standards of high accuracy and stability. A tuning fork is essentially a transverse vibrator (see illustration). See Vibration
)
A tuning fork vibrating at its fundamental frequency
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