Chladni plate cymatics simulation
In the 1780s Ernst Chladni drew a violin bow across sand-covered metal plates and watched the sand form intricate patterns. Each pattern is a mode of vibration, and the sand gathers where the plate stays still.
Interactive, free and runs in your browser. Part of the Acoustic Physics simulations.
What you will see
A square plate covered in sand vibrates in one of its natural modes. The grains are thrown off the moving regions and collect along the nodal lines. Tap a tone pad to switch modes, hear the frequency, and watch the sand rearrange into a new figure.
Try this
- Step up through the modes and watch the patterns get more intricate.
- Use the microphone mode and sing to drive the plate.
- Compare the lowest and highest frequency patterns.
Common misconception
The sand does not show where the plate vibrates most. It shows the opposite: the nodal lines where the plate stays still, because grains are bounced off everywhere else.
Exam-style question
Why do higher-frequency modes of a plate produce more complicated Chladni patterns?
Higher modes have shorter wavelengths on the plate, so more half-wavelengths fit across it. More regions vibrate in opposite directions, separated by more nodal lines, and the sand traces a more intricate figure.
Key equations
u = cos(nπX)cos(mπY) − cos(mπX)cos(nπY)f ∝ √(m² + n²)
Curriculum
AQA A-level physics 3.3.1, IB Physics C.4.