How the Physics of Resonance Shapes Reality

Resonance underlies many aspects of the modern world. Objects have natural frequencies, and resonance occurs when an object experiences an outside force close to its natural frequency. Extreme cases of this are when a trained singer shatters a glass with her voice. Particles operate in similar ways. They are localized, resonant excitations of fields that vibrate. In fact, resonance is responsible for the very existence of particles. Experimental particle physics increasingly focuses on resonance and has found short-lived particles (often called “resonances”) that are around for less than a trillionth of a trillionth of a second.

Key Takeaways:

One of the most basic tenets of the science underlying the natural world is that each item has a natural frequency.
This specific natural frequency allows the object to vibrate or oscillate.
A good example is the tone that is emitted by the act of correctly flicking a wine glass.

“Resonance underlies aspects of the world as diverse as music, nuclear fusion in dying stars, and even the very existence of subatomic particles.”