This is an incredibly interesting experiment to demonstrate a physics phenomena called "Coupling." The actual full term is called Coupled Oscillators and it demonstrates how in physics forces have a tendency to become harmonious, or coupled. This phenomena is fairly new in its study and its been used to build better bridges, bridges that negate this phenomena because coupled harmonics is a force that is undesirable in bridge building. Coupling is also used in thermal conductivity and transfer of sound which is very useful in the sound reinforcement industry. The trick is, if you put the 32 metronomes in a solid surface, they have no media to transfer their energy and therefore they will remain asynchronous. But, if you put them on an unstable substrate, that allows transfer of energy, the amplitude of the oscillators will variate constantly until all of them eventually are synchronized.
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 15:34:21 +0000
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