Cymatics

The term cymatics was coined by the Swiss naturalist Hans Jenny for the visualization of sounds and waves. The word is derived from the ancient Greek κῦμα for wave. In English, the term cymatics has become common.

Based on the work of Galileo Galilei , Robert Hooke and especially Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni , Jenny further developed the technology for the imaging process of sounds by systematically varying the parameters.

A simple method is to evenly sprinkle a plate (e.g. glass or tin) with a fine powder (e.g. soot or pollen) and make it vibrate by painting it with a violin bow. The patterns that form are called Chladnian sound figures . Nowadays loudspeakers are used and vibrations in liquids can also be visualized through clever lighting and the use of video technology.

literature

• Hans Jenny : Cymatics. Wave phenomena and vibrations. AT, 2009, ISBN 3-03800-458-8 .
• Alexander Lauterwasser Water, sound, images. The creative music of the universe. AT, 2002, ISBN 3-85502-775-7 .
• Alexander Lauterwasser: Water - Music. Mystery and beauty in the interplay of water and sound waves. AT, 2005, ISBN 3-03800-237-2 .
• Joachim Ernst Berendt : Nada Brahma. The world is sound. Rowohlt, 2005, ISBN 3-499-17949-0 .