What is the main idea of the passage?

A string's pitch depends mainly on its vibrating length, tension, and mass, which control how quickly it vibrates. (The passage names three interacting properties and connects their effects with vibration frequency and pitch.)

Why can two equally long, equally tense strings sound at different pitches?

Their thickness or material can give them different mass per unit length. (The third paragraph identifies thickness and material as remaining variables when length and tension match.)

What does “pitch” mean in this passage?

how high or low a sound is perceived (The opening directly links faster vibration with higher pitch and slower vibration with lower pitch.)

What may happen if tension becomes excessive?

The string may break. (The third paragraph warns that too much tension can break the string.)

How a String Changes Its Note: Level 2 Reading Comprehension Questions

Pluck a stretched string, and it vibrates back and forth. That vibration pushes the surrounding air and produces a note. Faster vibration creates a higher pitch; slower vibration creates a lower one.

Three properties help set the string's natural frequency. A shorter vibrating length usually produces a higher note, which is why pressing a guitar string against a fret changes pitch. Greater tension also tends to raise the frequency. A string with more mass per unit of length tends to vibrate more slowly.

These factors interact. Tightening a string while keeping its length and material the same raises its pitch, but excessive tension can break it. Two strings of equal length and tension can sound different if one is thicker or made from denser material.

The instrument body shapes loudness and tone by responding to the vibration, yet the string begins the repeating motion. Musicians tune by making controlled changes, then listening or measuring until each frequency reaches the intended note.

Comprehension questions