Sound V Glass

[marcus5771]

Can a very high-pitched scream really shatter glass?
It was shown on TV but cant remember the advert

[WoWo]

It's not possible to do it with the voice alone

There was a thing on the TV a while back where they tried it out, it was possible to break a glass using sound waves but it took a while and needed to remain at the exact pitch and volume for a sustained time.

It is possible to do if the voice is amplified however but thats not really the same thing in my opinin.

[marcus5771]

Thank You for that.
Now I do remember the advert in the late 70s early 80s the ad was for Memorex Tapes.

[shazzzz]

ear marcus it was an advert for memorex and i think the women was cleo laine she was the only singer to reach f sharp and could hold the pitch to smash a glass not sure if she is dead now

[Backdrifter]

Yes it was memorex, no it wasn't Cleo Laine and no she's not dead. I think it was Ella Fitzgerald. And no, a scream can't shatter glass. Sustained controlled sonic waves can if they resonate with the glass and open up small voids in its structure.

Resonance is the phenomenon that causes this - the sound source matches the natural vibrational frequency of the object (in this case the glass) and sets up sympathy vibrations in the object, known as "constructive interference". Oh yes, I knew those O-level physics lessons would come in handy 25 years later! It's what caused that suspension bridge (Tacoma?) to shake itself to bits in that famous and horribly compelling piece of footage - a relatively low but crucially steady crosswind, at the same resonant frequency of the bridge structure, set up a standing wave in the bridge.

The slogan from the ad: "Is it real? Or is it Memorex?" (The Memorex tape of Ella - or whoever - supposedly shattered the glass too).

[marcus5771]

Thank you for that Elle died in 96 Cleo still going both where in google for the memorex ads I will put it through the radio station in London talk show.

[joko]

the mythbusters have tested this - today in fact, on the discovery channel


it is possible but in a ver certain way.