Albert Michelson, for example, used light reflected from the vibrating tines of a tuning fork to make his historic measurements of the speed of light. Specialized techniques were developed to use them for measuring different kinds of vibrations, and they were frequently used as high-precision timing standards. By the last decades of the 19th century, tuning forks were among the most precise of all scientific instruments. In the 19th century, advances in manufacturing made it possible to create extremely precise tuning forks, which were made in sets and used as tone generators to identify and measure other sounds. Strong used his fork as a pitch standard to tune musical instruments, a task for which they are still used today.

The invention of the tuning fork is generally credited to the British musician, John Shore, in 1711. Shortening the length of the tines allows them to vibrate faster and thus produce a higher sound.

Longer tines vibrate more slowly and thus produce a lower tone. The tone a fork makes is determined primarily by the length of its “tines” (or prongs). When struck it produces several tones – a fundamental and at least one harmonic – but the fork’s shape tends to minimize the harmonics and within a few seconds only the fundamental can be heard. Technically, a tuning fork is an acoustic resonator.

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