Chladni Singing

Chladni plates are a beautiful and dynamic example of resonance in two dimensions. Originally a bow was used (as seen in this Harvard demo video) to create two dimensional standing waves in a flat piece of metal in different shapes. More common now is to use a frequency driver to control the frequency of the standing wave. Here is a video that goes through a wide range of frequencies:

Whatever the method, you can demonstrate that higher frequencies produce shorter wavelengths and thus smaller patterns on the plates. You can talk about the fact that the pattern on the plate seems to abruptly change as a resonant frequency is reached. Ask students if the locations where salt gathers are nodes or antinodes of those standing waves. There is a lot to learn from something that is also mesmerizing to watch. If you're not super comfortable with the explanation yourself try showing your students this Physics Girl video that has a good explanation and information on the next steps in modern science.

I thought I'd seen everything about Chladni plates (including this music video they appear in) but then I learned of someone who can sing to a Chladni plate! Meara O'Reilly works at the Exploratorium museum of San Francisco and has enough voice control to sing to Chladni plates to create different patterns. Her website devoted to this phenomenon is here and an example is below. While amplified, this is produced by the human voice and not a frequency generator. It is amazing.