|Guitar Strings - A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE PHYSICS OF STRINGS|
Page 2 of 9 A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE PHYSICS OF STRINGS When a
string made from any material is progressively stretched between
two fixed points (which determine its vibrating length), at a
certain moment it reaches a frequency at which it breaks. This
point corresponds to the breaking load of the string, which in
the case of gut is about 32 kg/mm². The value of this limit
frequency, known as the 'breaking frequency', is completely
independent - strange as it may seem - of diameter, as may be
easily demonstrated either mathematically (applying the general
formula for the strings) or experimentally. This limit frequency
is in direct proportion to the vibrating length of the string.
In other words, the product of the vibrating length - in metres
- and the breaking frequency - in Hz - is a constant defined as
the 'breaking index'. The average breaking index of a modern gut
string in experimental conditions is 240 Hz/m, obviously
corresponding to