Resonance

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/resonance

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the driving frequency?The frequency of an external force applied to a system
2. Why do pendulums swing when another pendulum is moving?The two pendulums have the same natural frequency, so the moving one can give energy to the other, making it swing too.
3. How does resonance help musical instruments?The parts of the instrument vibrate at their natural frequencies, so the sound gets louder and clearer.

Oscillation: A repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value.
Harmonic Oscillator: A system whose restoring force is directly proportional to its displacement from equilibrium.
Quality Factor (Q): A dimensionless parameter that describes how underdamped an oscillator or resonator is.