17.5 Exercise 14

A student decides to test the speed of sound through wood using a wooden ruler. The student rests the ruler on a desk with half of its length protruding off the desk edge. The student then holds one end in place and strikes the protruding end with his other hand, creating a musical sound, and counts the number of vibrations of the ruler. Explain why the student would not be able to measure the speed of sound through wood using this method.