The Physics of Space Battles

How scientifically accurate is your favorite sci-fi space battle?

 

What Does Sound Look Like?

You can actually see sound waves as they travel through the air thanks to a clever photographic trick: Schlieren flow visualization

Why Blowing in Bottles Makes Sound and Helmholtz Resonance

An explanation of why blowing in a bottle makes a sound, basically explaining how Helmholtz resonance works and how to bottles are Helmholtz resonators. The same explanation works for what role the speaker plays in moving objects/bottles using sound, the acoustic propulsion in one of my other videos below. This also explains a bit about resonant frequency and compares the sound wave compression and decompression to an oscillating spring, a simple harmonic oscillator.

 

Hewitt-Drew-it! PHYSICS 84. Reflection and Refraction of Sound

Acoustics of reflection, and explanation and applications of refraction.

 

ScienceCasts: The Sounds of Interstellar Space

As Voyager 1 recedes from the solar system, researchers are listening for "interstellar music" (a.k.a. plasma waves) to learn more about conditions outside the heliosphere.

 

How can you filter out the vuvuzela?

Sixty Symbols takes a look at the dreaded vuvuzela and how it can be filtered out of World Cup football broadcasts. More physics at http://www.sixtysymbols.com/

 

How to Turn Sound Into Light: Sonoluminescence

Another awesome thing the Mantis Shrimp does...

 

Acoustic levitation

Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have discovered a way to use sound waves to levitate individual droplets of solutions containing different pharmaceuticals. While the connection between levitation and drug development may not be immediately apparent, a special relationship emerges at the molecular level.

Read more:  http://www.anl.gov/articles/no-magic-show-real-world-levitation-inspire-better-pharmaceuticals

 

Change in Frequency of Voice with Helium

Helium introduced into a resonant cavity, including the lungs of the demonstrator, will increase the frequency of all pitches originating in the cavity. This is because the speed of sound in helium is greater than the speed of sound in air.

See other MIT physics demos

Science off the Sphere: Space Soundwaves II- Electric Didgeridoo

In his off-duty time, NASA Astronaut Don Pettit likes to explore scientific curiosities of his own design. Sometimes that means cutting his shirt up and playing the space station vacuum cleaner like a didgeridoo.

Other Science off the Sphere videos

Science off the Sphere: Space Soundwaves

Don demonstrates water oscillations on a speaker in microgravity, and ZZ Top rocks the boat 250 miles above Earth.

Other Science off the Sphere videos

Resonance using Audacity

How to show resonance with a tuning for and the software Audacity.


 

Sound + Fire = Rubens' Tube

Sound waves in a tube of gas create flames of different heights that dance to the music. A metal tube with holes in it is filled with gas. The gas is lit to create a row of tiny flames. A speaker at one end plays sound into the tube, which creates a standing wave of sound: areas where air molecules are vibrating rapidly separated by areas where the air is fairly still. This produces the different heights of flames and allows the wavelength of the sound wave to be estimated.

Another Rubens' Tube demonstration

Other Veritasium videos

Julius Sumner Miller - Acoustic Toys

The physics of toys:  accoustic and thermal.

Other physics demonstrations by Julius Sumner Miller

Musical Nails: How Musical Instruments Work - UWM Science Bag

This is no ordinary music lesson. The familiar out of the unfamiliar..."weird and wonderful things"...a magician pulling sounds out of the air...a heightened sense of physical principles and possibilities—all of these, and more are at play in "The Clarinet, The Washtub, And The Musical Nails: How Musical Instruments Work." Physicist Robert Greenler uses an eclectic set of materials and an abundance of spontaneous humor to explore the basic elements in the creation of music.

Other UWM Science Bag videos

Sound Wave Interference (MIT Demo)

Two speakers, mounted on the table and facing each other, are driven by a function generator. A microphone is introduced between the speakers and the sound waves are displayed on an oscilloscope. This demonstrates the effect of interference and the resulting phase shift on sound waves over a fixed distance. Three different frequencies are demonstrated; 880Hz (A5), 440Hz (A4) and 523.3Hz (C4).

Other demonstrations from MIT

Energy of sound

Does sound carry energy?

More on Open and Closed End Wind Columns

Physics of wind music instruments.


With Nick Drozdoff.

Other videos in this series

Physics of the trumpet 2

Standing waves on a string, PVC didgeridoo,PVC trumpet, effect of the mouthpiece.


With Nick Drozdoff.

Other videos in this series

Physics of the trumpet 1

Resonance, standing waves in a string with both ends fixed, penny whistle.

With Nick Drozdoff.

Other videos in this series