Music & Sound
2 breaks
Vibrations, harmony and why some sounds feel right.
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Why dragging a bow makes a steady note: stick-slip and Helmholtz's travelling kink
A bow moves at a steady speed, yet the string under it vibrates in an exact rhythm hundreds of times a second. The secret is stick-slip: rosin grips the…
Why sand on a vibrating plate draws pictures: Chladni figures
Sprinkle sand on a thin metal plate, draw a violin bow along its edge, and the sand leaps into sharp, symmetrical lines. Change the pitch and the picture…