Watch the synchronisation of 32 metronomes (with an explanation behind it)

By: Will Goodman
Topics: Viral Video

(CBS News) A little over a year ago I posted a video on The Feed that showed a physics principle on display in the form of five metronomes that synched to each other with time and the right conditions. And it was very cool to watch and we all learned something from it. So how about a quick refresher course, this time with 32 metronomes. Watch physics unfold in the video above.

The science-in-action clip was posted by YouTube user IkeguchiLab, and for the explanation behind it, we refer back to the poster of the prior video, abahraminasab, who writes:

Here you go: metronomes (or "pendula") when on table, oscillate with random phases, since that is how they started and they are "uncoupled" (no energy/information flows from one to other so they do not "know" each other.) When they are all together on the cans, notice that the cans themselves oscillate little, providing coupling/information crossover. which forces "synchronization" in periodic systems (discovered by Huygens in 17th century).

So while not as obvious as in the prior video, it seems the table the 32 metronomes are on allows for enough movement to let this process take effect and lead to them synching with one another. I've said it before and I'll say it again: isn't science cool! If you'd like to check out more videos from IkeguchiLab (many in a similar vein to this one), you can visit their YouTube page by clicking here.

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