how do you find the break tension of a string mathmatically?

[Bucc5207]

Originally Posted by fatt-dad

I'm sure the windings affect the result.

f-d

The windings don't bear any of the tension. If they did, they would accommodate it by opening up like a (very weak) stretched spring. A wound string breaks when its core fails, at the same tension where the core would break without any windings.

The windings do two things: they load mass onto the string to lower its frequency, and they allow the string to be much more flexible than a solid wire of the same mass. The second part makes for better sound by reducing anharmonicity. I think there have been threads about that.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Bucc5207

...The windings do two things...The second part makes for better sound by reducing anharmonicity...

Guess that explains why I never liked plain G strings on my electrics...

[gjtoth]

Dang. My brain hurts now.

[mdunn]

If a string breaks in the middle of a forest is a man still wrong?

[Bucc5207]

Originally Posted by mdunn

If a string breaks in the middle of a forest is a man still wrong?

Trick question!

[fatt-dad]

(I am an engineer, but know little of this topic. I just think like an engineer. Just realize I may be wrong and am willing to learn.)

A wound string is a composite strand. Yes, the windings will unwrap like a spring if there was no core. There is a core though. That core is made of one metal and the windings another. Under the first tension, the core will take the tensile stress and begin to elongate. The windings would love to uncoil, but to do that they have to first place radial compression on the core. That could effect the elastic properties of the core. Also, if the core is in the way of the windings uncoiling that'll "grip" the winding to the core, which in turn will mobilize the elastic properties of the windings.

I think there's a great likelihood that the composite nature of the core and the windings provides a material property that's an enhancement to either element alone.

Then again. . .

f-d

[Bucc5207]

Originally Posted by fatt-dad

(I am an engineer, but know little of this topic. I just think like an engineer. Just realize I may be wrong and am willing to learn.)

A wound string is a composite strand. Yes, the windings will unwrap like a spring if there was no core. There is a core though. That core is made of one metal and the windings another. Under the first tension, the core will take the tensile stress and begin to elongate. The windings would love to uncoil, but to do that they have to first place radial compression on the core. That could effect the elastic properties of the core. Also, if the core is in the way of the windings uncoiling that'll "grip" the winding to the core, which in turn will mobilize the elastic properties of the windings.

I think there's a great likelihood that the composite nature of the core and the windings provides a material property that's an enhancement to either element alone.

Then again. . .

f-d

Good stuff! I could be wrong, too. The model in my head was core and windings acting independently, because they are not fused together. Besides, the core is much harder and stronger than the winding material, so my intuition was that the windings would not be able to interfere with the core doing its thing.

Someone will just have to do the experiment, or better yet, google up real data!

[flaggerphil]

Aaaaaaaaaah!

You're encouraging him!!

[SongwriterFan]

Show the strings partial differential equations. THAT should be enough to break them.

[The Growler]

Originally Posted by flaggerphil

Aaaaaaaaaah!

You're encouraging him!!

Post of the day!