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, you put a straw in the glass to help see the vibrations of the glass. Then, you will start singing different notes and watching the straw in the glass. Change your singing pitch until you see the straw move, when the straw starts to vibrate, hold that note while increasing your volume, and it will lead to the glass 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. 

Sources 

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