OPERA+SINGER+-+FLORIAN

Back to HOME > IB PHYSICS > WAVES > FORCED OSCILLATION > IB HL 2012 EXAMPLES EXAMPLE OF RESONANCE BY ... OPERA SINGER BREAKING A GLASS



There are two ways of breaking a glass, one uses the voice of a person, whereas the other, which can be seen in the diagram above is done mechanically. In both cases, it is necessary to have the correct frequency so that the glass can be shattered.

The glass doesn't have to be affected by damping. Damping is the interference with a force which will act to prevent the glass from vibrating. Furthermore, the glass should be empty.

A wine glass is a good shape because it stands on a stem. This reduces the amount of damping that could be caused by a glass sitting directly on a surface such as a pint glass. The walls of the glass should be as thin as possible.

When the driving sound wave reaches the natural resonance of the glass, the glass will vibrate and eventually break after a few moments.