The number of occurrences of a particular phenomenon at every fixed interval of time is called frequency.
If the frequency decreases at every interval then the frequency is negative. This happens when the frequency interferes with its harmonic frequency which is 11th note higher in the octave. Let us discuss some of the negative frequency examples here:-
Breaking of Glass
If you pass the vibration to glass the glass will break down.
Suppose you pass the vibration initially to the glass by touching it with any item like spoon or fork and then hammer a tuning fork and hold it near the glass, then the superimposition of the two waves will not last the glass to stand for long eventually these vibrations leading to glass break.
Vibration Transmitted
The vibrations transmitted are acquired by the surrounding matter and the energy is lacking in a passage. Hence, the frequency of the emitted radiations decreases gradually after traveling a long distance due to transmission.
Tuning Fork Held Near the Hollow Vessel
Upon hammering a tuning fork and holding it near the opening of the hollow vessel, resonance will be created, generating the sonic waves.
Read more on What is Negative Frequency: Exhaustive Insights.
Sound from a Valley
If you stand in a valley region and speak aloud, then the sound wave created by you will be reflected back towards you from the valley after a certain time duration taken for a sound wave to travel. The sound thus heard has less frequency than the actual.
Echo Created in a Room
The echo of a sound or light is created when the audio or light waves are reflected from different directions.
The sound we create is reflected and reverberated in the room. The direction of propagation of the waves varies.
Read more on Angular Frequency Simple Harmonic Motion: Exhaustive Insights.
Microphone
The sound waves of a person speaking over a microphone are converted into electrical waves and back into the audio waves through a loudspeaker. These amplified audio waves are transmitted in all directions and reflected from the walls of the room, thus creating reverberation.
Musical Instruments
The musical instruments have the harmonic tone that is an eleventh semitone higher and we get the reverberation of a note in a harmonic scale.
Read more on Angular frequency of oscillation: Interesting facts and Faqs.
Destruction of Building
When the frequency generated is equal to the natural frequency of construction, then the superimposition of both the frequency will bring the destruction of a building or of that structure.
Bell
If you have noticed that as you ring a bell you heard that long musical sound that prolongs for a certain time and diminishes simultaneously. This sound hears is in a harmonic tone of a bell and the frequency of a sound generated decreases gradually.
Read more on Linear Frequency: What, How to Find and Interesting Facts.
Ultrasonic Sensor
Ultrasonic wave works on the frequency of waves generated by the crystal oscillator. As the electric current is passing through this crystal, the vibrations are set up in the atoms of the crystal and emit the ultrasonic waves.
These waves are emitted from the transmitter and the receiver on the sensor receives these waves. The change in the direction of propagation of the waves is seen in this case. This sensor measures the total time required for the waves to travel through a medium and calculates the distance of the presence of an obstacle.
Pipe
If you blow the sound from one end of the pipe, this sound wave traveling through a pipe travels in the form of nodes and antinodes. The frequency of the actual sound created by you will be modified; this is called frequency modulation.
Read more on Angular Frequency And Frequency: Exhaustive Insights.
Wrecking Ball
It produces large frequency waves in the apartment, then this frequency will create vibrational waves that would tend to collapse the apartment.
Seismic Waves
The seismic waves travel through the Earth’s interior zone due to the motion of the molten magma and the construction and destruction of plates. The frequency and the direction of propagation of the waves vary while traveling from layers having different densities.
Read more on What Is Oscillation Frequency: Interesting Facts and FAQs.
Melody of Water
If you are traveling through the sea-shore you will hear the roars of the sea from the far distance away from the shoreline.
The sea waves hitting the shore and then colliding back into the water volume produce the sound waves that travel through the air and surrounding region. These sound waves overlap each other thus modulating the frequencies.
Cypre
If you have a cypre, just hold it near your ear and hear the sound of the air passing through the shell. You will hear a pleasant sound as if the water is flowing in the cypre. This is because the air is gushing through the small cavity within the shell.
Read more on Does frequency affect diffraction: How and detailed facts.
Radiations
The frequency of light radiated from the sun is in the visible range region. These radiations are absorbed by the objects depending upon the emissivity of the object.
This absorbs radiation is irradiated out from the surfaces when the internal heat of the object goes high. The radiated waves have less frequency than before.
Reflection from the Surface of Turbid Water
The light incident on the surface of the water is reflected back. These reflected light waves overlap each other and become a bright spot of light as the reflected waves from the ripples formed on the water surface coincide.
Read more on Effect Of Refraction On Frequency: How, Why Not, Detailed Facts.
Bombarding of Two Objects
If two objects are traveling towards each other from opposite directions with certain frequencies, this object bombards them together. If this happens, then the frequency of the object will either become zero or produces the vibrational frequency.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can the frequency be negative?
The frequency, in reality, is the time taken for an event to occur frequently.
The frequency can be negative if the change in the frequency of a single event is negative, that is if the frequency decreases gradually or drastically.
Does the negative frequency depend upon the direction of the waves?
The lowering of the frequency of waves upon variation in the direction gives the negative frequency.
If the frequency of the wave decreases while propagating from the different mediums the direction varies and also upon reflection the direction reverses.
Also Read:
- Dynamic equilibrium example
- Instantaneous speed example
- Constructive interference example
- Example of prokaryotic cell
- Multiple alleles example 2
- Constant velocity example
- Example of chemical change which is reversible
- Constant angular velocity example
- Destructive interference of wave example
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Hi, I’m Akshita Mapari. I have done M.Sc. in Physics. I have worked on projects like Numerical modeling of winds and waves during cyclone, Physics of toys and mechanized thrill machines in amusement park based on Classical Mechanics. I have pursued a course on Arduino and have accomplished some mini projects on Arduino UNO. I always like to explore new zones in the field of science. I personally believe that learning is more enthusiastic when learnt with creativity. Apart from this, I like to read, travel, strumming on guitar, identifying rocks and strata, photography and playing chess.
