In the late 18 th century, German physicist and musician Ernst Chladni demonstrated how vibrations could be used to create striking imagery. By spreading fine sand across the top of a metal plate and ...

When a plate sprinkled with sand vibrates at certain audio frequencies, it creates beautiful, intricate patterns. If you’ve never heard of the Chladni plate experiment, the principle is very simple.

They’re a cool and easy way to demonstrate certain waves, with a bit of cleanup afterward. This week, we’re serving up some sound science on a “Chladni plate.” * Ernst Chladni was a very important ...