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Physics vocabulary · Waves, Oscillations and Sound

Resonance

Meaning in physics, with examples

/ˈrezənəns/nounCommon term

In physics, resonance means: The large increase in amplitude that happens when a system is pushed at a frequency equal to its own natural frequency. Energy is then transferred to the system very efficiently.

In Turkish: rezonans, çınlanım

How it is used

Useful in musical instruments, radio tuning and MRI scanners, but harmful in bridges, buildings and machines, where engineers add damping to limit it. A system 'resonates' or 'is in resonance'; the matching frequency is the resonant frequency.

Example sentences

  1. A singer can break a wine glass through resonance if she hits its natural frequency loudly enough.

  2. Engineers added dampers to the footbridge to reduce resonance when crowds walked across it.

Common collocations

  • resonant frequency
  • natural frequency
  • forced oscillation
  • damping
  • in resonance
  • frequencyThe number of complete waves or oscillations that pass a point, or happen, each second. It is measured in hertz (Hz), where 1 Hz means one cycle per second.
  • amplitudeThe maximum distance that a point on a wave or an oscillating object moves away from its rest position. A larger amplitude means the wave carries more energy.
  • simple harmonic motionA repeating back-and-forth motion in which the acceleration is proportional to the displacement from the centre and always points back towards it. A mass on a spring moves this way.
  • waveA disturbance that travels through a medium or through space and carries energy from one place to another without carrying matter with it.

More terms: Waves, Oscillations and Sound

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