Cymatics

Cymatics (from Ancient Greek: κῦμα, romanized: kŷma, lit. 'wave') is a subset of modal vibrational phenomena. The term was coined by Swiss physician Hans Jenny (1904–1972). Typically the surface of a plate, diaphragm, or membrane is vibrated, and regions of maximum and minimum displacement are made visible in a thin coating of particles, paste, or liquid. Different patterns emerge in the excitatory medium depending on the geometry of the plate and the driving frequency.

Cymatics is the study of vibrational frequencies manifested as sound and seen as form, usually on a solid metal surface. The observations of these sound structures involved the use of some fine material, such as salt upon a flat and solid surface, in order to be seen. The higher the frequency, the more intricate the pattern. Highly complex patterns can also be seen on a water surface.

The apparatus employed can be simple, such as the Chinese spouting bowl, in which copper handles are rubbed and cause the copper bottom elements to vibrate. Other examples include the Chladni plate and the so-called cymascope