Shattering Glass with the Human Voice

            (Abstract) The glass-shattering with the human voice, the phenomena based on sing note frequency matching with the resonance frequency of an object. The phenomenon is such that the glass vibrates with a set note of sufficient duration until it breaks. This paper brings into focus the interplay of sound waves with frequency and material resonance.

Is  it possible to break glass with the human voice? It the video “Can you break glass with your voice?” by SciShow they explore the science behind what it needed to break glass with your voice. In the video it states by producing a note that matches the resonant frequency of the glass, the frequency is supposed to create enough vibration to break the glass. If the frequency is met correctly and held at that frequency the person should be able to break the glass by making the glass vibrate with the right amount of energy to eventually break it.

Materials:

• a wine glass
• a straw
• a microphone (optional)
• a tuning device (optional)

For this experiment,  put a straw in the glass to help see the vibrations of the glass. Then, start singing different notes and watching the straw in the glass. Change the singing pitch until the straw moves, when the straw starts to vibrate, hold that note while increasing the volume, and it will shatter the glass.

The straw vibrated in this experiment once the singer achieved the glass’s resonant frequency. But high intensity should be sustained at that frequency in order to break it. Besides, the experiment found that any high frequency would break the glass since its breaking depends on the sound pressure wave exerted.

The experiment reinforces the concept that resonance can induce intense vibrations in objects, potentially leading to their shattering. The straw shakes as the person hits the right frequency to tune in. But, any high enough frequency could break glass because of sound pressure. The test proved that resonance makes objects vibrate and break. High frequencies do apply pressure, and, with more power, the easier it is to break the glass. This illustrates that sound waves can shake things apart and would break an object with resonant vibration. However, various factors such as the thickness of the glass,, and the strength of the voice play critical roles in determining whether the glass will shatter.

This investigation highlights how sound waves can produce significant vibrations when they correspond effectively with an object’s resonant frequency, ultimately resulting in breakage. Although breaking glass using just one’s voice poses considerable challenges, the principle of resonance remains a crucial element within physics.

 

Sources

 

SciShow. “Can You Break Glass with Your Voice?” YouTube, 18 Nov. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fykxT-cWibM. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.