I’ve heard this term a lot as a musician. I’m aware that by finding an objects resonant frequency and playing that frequency it will break or smash, for example when singers break wine glasses with their voice, or the whole Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation thing. What is an object’s natural resonant frequency, how is it determined, and what happens to an object when you play it that makes things smash or break? Thanks!!
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There’s another important aspect to the resonance phenomenon. Different types of objects “slow down” when vibrated, at different rates. A tuning fork keeps vibrating for a long time, at a well-defined frequency. A wooden fork quits vibrating rapidly, and has a poorly defined frequency. Mathematically, this property is called “Q”.
A high Q oscillator like a fine wine glass, can absorb incoming energy at a specific resonant frequency, while not losing energy (to various forms of friction). This makes it possible, if difficult, to break by singing at it.
A low Q oscillator, like a wood goblet, dissipates vibrational energy so fast (due to internal friction) that it is impossible to break by singing.
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