soundwaves

This black, square-shaped platform is being vibrated by an amplified wave generator whose frequency is being gradually increased while someone pours salt on it to reveal the standing waves generated at the resonant frequency (the first pattern) or a harmonic of the resonant frequency (all the other patterns) of the black square. Each time the visible pattern changes, the wave generator "finds" another harmonic of the square's resonant frequency.

The salt makes these standing waves visible sine the salt is vibrated away from the areas of the platform which are moving, and subsequently rest in the areas which not moving. These areas in the platform which are not moving are where the standing wave nodes reside ( [link] ).

While the study of these waves is called cymatics ( http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Cymatics ), the patterns themselves are caused by the standing waves. These patterns exist everywhere, we just normally don't get to witness them.

Some people in the comments have suggested that this is how crop circles form. My opinion on the matter is that this is not likely since:

1) The amplitude (the strength) of a standing wave residing in a material decreases exponentially with material thickness. Hence, the strength necessary to cause a standing wave large enough to effect corn stalks would create an earthquake.

2) Ignoring the above, the chance that any standing wave patterns which would somehow arise in earth that is as amorphous as some random farmer's field would be would actually turn out to be well defined arrangements of geometric shapes is highly, highly, highly unlikely.

2) If the salt sit in the areas of the platform which are not moving (standing wave nodes), and it is the salt patterns which resemble crop circles, then this would imply that the areas where the crop circle symbols exist (the crushed/downed corn stalks) are also positioned at node points, meaning they do not move. If the area with the crushed corn stalks is not moving, but the area of the field surrounding the symbols are (as would have to be for there to be standing waves), then why would the stalks that aren't moving fall down but the corn stalks that are moving stay standing? It simply makes no sense.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• frequency

[TAMYCRON]

Does the salt taste the same now?

[anoriameribah]

I enjoyed your project, can you set up an array of geophones across the plate at harmonic locations inducing the resonant vibrations to transfer the physical energy back to magnetic electrical energy, loop any gained energy from the array back into the original source like audio feedback, add a light bulb to show change in duration and power levels of the transferred energy, replicate the experiment without the plate using coils that harmonically respond to like frequency vibration patterns?

[TogieTung]

Infrasonic soundwave can also be lethal in a very low frequency level, a Soviet scientist called Vladimir Gavreau discovered this by accident. They say that the device is so dangerous it has to be installed on a robot tank & it has the ability to destroy a building.

[InebriatedManate]

I thought those visuals were pretty cool.

[BURGERKINGSOON]

holy fuck!

[verhaegenconstruct]

good sound = energi

[loonpolice1]

how much would it cost to make something like this and what would the parts be called?

[Justletmehuck]

Salt=microscopic particles if im not mistaken oh why does my mind deceive me

[BIGGIEBRATIE]

This is so cool. Thank you!