Ruben’s Tube – Sound visualization… with FIRE!

Music Science


Here’s a really neat way to see sound waves… With fire! I think if I ever make a fireplace, it’ll have something like this. Twinrawk writes – “The classic physics experiment involving sound, a tube of propane and fire. Created for Flash Forward 2006, but useful in any case where you are not allowed to have fire. I push through the tube 449 Hz then higher frequencies, then some jazz and then some rock. This is real life sound visualization.” [via] – Link.

Related:
Other things, with fire, on MAKE – Link.

10 thoughts on “Ruben’s Tube – Sound visualization… with FIRE!

  1. BicknellStudio says:

    FaNtasTic! Any idea how long a tank would last, maybe with smaller flames?

  2. weconway says:

    Hell yeah!

    That would make one wicked fireplace display!

    William

  3. Shadyman says:

    Woo!

    On the rock song… Is it playing off tape or something? Because it leaves rather nasty gaps in the visualization.

  4. Shadyman says:

    Woo!

    On the rock song… Is it playing off tape or something? Because it leaves rather nasty gaps in the visualization.

    Only thing… He’s burning propane in a closed garage. Hmm. Anyone see a problem with that?

  5. fatboyntn says:

    On the rock song… Is it playing off tape or something? Because it leaves rather nasty gaps in the visualization.

    The gap is caused because there is a standing wave there. Based on the length from the speaker to the large gap, I suspect there is a lot of musical information at about 175hz in the song.

    In open air a 175hz wavelength is about 6.5 feet. So we should see a standing wave at .5*wl or 3.25 feet.

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