Abstract
DR. RUDOLPH KONIG, the well-known construct of acoustical apparatus, has recently brought before the Physical Society of Paris a research of the highes interest, upon the difference of phase which exists between the vibrations of a transmitting and a receiving telephone. In a paper published more than two years ago, Prof, du Bois-Reymond, discussed the condition which determine the intensity and the phase of differen sounds transmitted telephonically; and from theoretical onsiderations deduced the conclusion that sounds of low pitch suffered greater loss by transmission than shrill ones, and that every simple vibration was retarded in phase by a quarter of an undulation. The former of these actions would produce an alteration in the timbre of the voice as received at the end of the line: the latter effect would remain unappreciated by the ear, since the retardation of phase was the same for waves of all periods. More recently Helmholtz has attacked the question in a paper in the Annalen of Wiedemann (“Telephon und Klangfarbe”), and, with a theoretical treatment of the question based upon somewhat deeper analysis, has deduced the results that all sounds are weakened by transmission in almost a constant proportion irrespective of their pitch, and that the difference of phase between the vibrations of transmitter and receiver are very small. Dr. König has endeavoured to put these conflicting speculations to the test of experiment, and with marked success.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
THOMPSON, S. Researches on Telephone Vibrations . Nature 21, 180–181 (1879). https://doi.org/10.1038/021180a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/021180a0