Here's a video of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge that collapsed because it was built of a single piece that could resonate when activated by the wind. It's a nice way to see the resonant modes at work.
Also, could you possibly provide a bit of an explanation as to why the bridge collapsed? My guess is that the frequency of the wind matched the natural frequency of the bridge, and as the result was a larger frequency that lead to the bridge's collapse.
The man lived, the dog died. You can check out the wikipedia article for details – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Narrows_Bridge_%281940%29
Re: why it collapsed, the issue is rather complex. One possible explanation I've heard is that it is because the bridge functioned as a solid closed system that, since it wasn't able to defuse the energy provided by the wind, the wind proceeded to amplify the entire system's resonant frequencies until the point of collapse.
Haha so..was the man and/or the dog killed?
ReplyDeleteAlso, could you possibly provide a bit of an explanation as to why the bridge collapsed? My guess is that the frequency of the wind matched the natural frequency of the bridge, and as the result was a larger frequency that lead to the bridge's collapse.
The man lived, the dog died. You can check out the wikipedia article for details –
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Narrows_Bridge_%281940%29
Re: why it collapsed, the issue is rather complex. One possible explanation I've heard is that it is because the bridge functioned as a solid closed system that, since it wasn't able to defuse the energy provided by the wind, the wind proceeded to amplify the entire system's resonant frequencies until the point of collapse.