how can a high pitch sound shatter glass but low pitch sounds cannot?
In: Physics
It’s about resonance. The frequency has to match the natural resonance of the glass.
It’s a little bit like how getting pushed on a swing makes you swing higher but you have to push at the right time.
A wine glass, despite being pretty rigid, does flex like a spring. The first sound wave arrives at the glass and gives it a tiny nudge. It bends back a little bit in response then springs back. If the next sound wave arrives at just the right moment it pushes it again. This time it flexes a little more and springs back. And again the next sound wave gives it another nudge. Just like with a swing set each push at the right moment adds energy.
Keep the sound at the right frequency and with enough volume and eventually the vibration if the glass exceeds it’s structural integrity and it shatters.
It’s not about high vs low pitch, it’s about matching the resonance of the object.
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