Science presenter Steve Mould used a simple bow to demonstrate how when played like a violin, a metal plate will resonate and cause a bunch of spilled couscous to beautifully align into what are known as Chladni figures.
The science and mathematics explaining why the metal plates resonate in these specific designs are too complex for a Friday morning, but suffice it to say that during the process some parts of the plates aren’t actually moving at all. It’s in those areas where the couscous ends up settling to form these complex patterns.
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