Chapter 37, Problem 24A

A common pickup for an electric guitar consists of a coil of wire around a permanent magnet. The permanent magnet magnetizes the nearby guitar string. When the string is plucked, it oscillates above the coil, thereby changing the magnetic field that passes through the coil. The rhythmic oscillations of the string produce the same rhythmic changes in the magnetic field in the coil, which in turn induce the same rhythmic voltages in the coil, which when amplified and sent to a speaker produce music! Why will this type of pickup not work with nylon strings?

To determine

To explain: Nylon strings are not able to produce music.

Answer to Problem 24A

As the nylon is a non-magnetic material, it cannot produce a magnetic effect that is responsible for the oscillations and the music.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

When there is a change in the magnetic field there will be voltage induces into the coils or string.

The strings are in the electric guitar are magnetic. When a string is plucked it vibrate and hence the magnetic field changes. A voltage is developed in the coils which are amplified and send to the speaker. Nylon is a non-magnetic material. The strings made of nylon do not magnetize and not able to produce the voltage and no transfer of vibration to pick up coils.

Conclusion:

The non-magnetic nature of nylon does not allow to transfer vibrations.