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Waves

Resonance

Where can resonance be found on the playground?

Children discover resonance early in life. When playing on swings, they use their arms and legs to pump themselves back and forth on the swing. They recognize that if they pull back on the chains every time the swing is at its largest backward displacement they will achieve the largest amplitude. If, however, the pull back at other times, or if a parent pushes at the wrong time, the amplitude will be decreased because the external frequency isn’t at the natural frequency.



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