Wave action can be a major source of erosion along riverbanks and shorelines. But in a recent study, scientists were able to perfectly absorb incoming waves to create a downstream Keep reading
Tag: resonance
A Better Ear Plug
Ear plugs can be wonderful at blocking outside noise, but they come with a downside: they typically amplify internal bodily sounds, like our heartbeat, breathing, and chewing. This effect, called Keep reading
The Physics of Vowels
Blow across the top of a glass bottle, and you’ll get a whistle-like sound. Put some liquid in there and the pitch of the sound changes. Our vocal tracts are Keep reading
The Architecture of Music
Photographer Charles Brooks offers a rare glimpse into the interiors of musical instruments in this series. Whether stringed, wind, or percussion, an instrument’s unseen interior structure creates the acoustic resonance Keep reading
Leaky Resonance
Some resonators aren’t perfect — nor are they meant to be! Here, researchers experiment with resonance using a disk shaking up and down over a pool of water. The disk Keep reading
Sonic Booms and Urban Canyons
In the days of the Concorde — thus far the world’s only supersonic passenger jet — noise complaints from residents kept the aircraft from faster-than-sound travel except over the open Keep reading
Shattering With Resonance
Resonance is a phenomenon that is both familiar and somewhat mysterious. It takes place when a system is excited near its natural frequency. In this case, we’re seeing a mechanical Keep reading
Experimenting with Speakers
In her ongoing quest to explore natural resonance, Dianna has enlisted some very nice, very expensive speakers to find out just what happens when the bass drops. If you ever Keep reading
Fighting Resonance
Resonance is a funny creature, as Dianna discovered when she tried to sing a rising scale through a tube. At certain notes, everyone who attempted to do it had their Keep reading
Resonating on a Bounce
When we think of resonance, we often think of it in simple terms: hit the one right note, and the wine glass will shatter. But resonance isn’t always about a Keep reading