Sound waves, resonance, room acoustics, and sonic effects brought to life
Acoustics is the branch of physics dealing with sound — mechanical waves that propagate through gases, liquids, and solids. From the resonant boom of a cathedral organ to the whispered conversation across a domed gallery, acoustic phenomena shape how we experience the world.
These simulations explore fundamental concepts: how standing waves form in tubes, why rooms have resonant modes that color the bass, how the Doppler effect compresses wavefronts, and how sound bends around obstacles through diffraction. Each demo lets you manipulate parameters and watch the physics unfold in real time.
Visualize pressure and displacement patterns inside resonant tubes. Switch between closed-closed, open-open, and closed-open boundary conditions to see how harmonics change.
Standing Waves 02A bottle-shaped cavity with a neck that resonates at a specific frequency. Adjust neck length, radius, and cavity volume to see the resonance peak shift in the frequency response.
Resonance 03Standing wave patterns in a rectangular room. See how axial and tangential modes create pressure hot-spots and dead zones that affect studio acoustics.
Room AcousticsWatch wavefronts compress ahead of a moving source and stretch behind it. Adjust speed from subsonic through supersonic to see the Mach cone form.
Wave Motion 05An aircraft breaking the sound barrier creates a conical shockwave. Vary the Mach number and watch the cone angle narrow as speed increases.
Shockwaves 06Two close frequencies produce a pulsing beat pattern. See the individual waves, their superposition, and the beat envelope — with optional audio output.
SuperpositionThousands of sand particles settle onto the nodal lines of a vibrating plate. Change mode numbers to produce intricate geometric patterns.
Vibration Patterns 08Sound rays bounce along the curved wall of an elliptical room, converging at the far focus. Click anywhere inside to trace reflections and see how geometry guides sound.
Ray Acoustics 09Ultrasonic standing waves create pressure nodes where particles float in mid-air. Adjust frequency, amplitude, and gravity to trap or release the floating spheres.
Sound Pressure 10Plane waves passing through slits spread out via Huygens' principle. Compare single slit, double slit, and edge diffraction as you vary wavelength and aperture size.
Diffraction