Why do some metals ring when struck while others don’t?
In: Physics
An objects density (how tightly packed its molecules are) had a direct impact on the frequency an object will vibrate at. Denser materials will vibrate at lower frequencies than less dense materials because there’s not as much room for the molecules to move around. For sound to be created, an object has to vibrate at a frequency that causes the surrounding medium (air, water, etc.) to vibrate as well. Lower frequency waves create lower pitched (thud) sounds while higher frequency waves produced high pitched (ring) sounds. So dense objects will vibrate less and create more of a thud than a ring.
Other factors that impact the sound produced by an object slightly outside of an ELI5 scope are:
* Energy
* Resonant Frequencies
* Shape and design of object
* Acoustics
* Medium Density Changes (Warm air is less dense than cold air)
* Atmospheric/Barometric Air Pressure
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