Sound Waves Salt Patterns Video | The Art Of Cymatics

This is an incredible video showing how salt reacts to sound waves played through an amplifier.

Some of the patterns it forms as the sound reaches different levels of pitch are strangely beautiful, and done just using nature… oh and a stonking great amp of course.

You’ll also notice how the patterns get much more detailed the higher the note pitch reaches. At low levels the patterns can be really simple, but as the frequency rises until only dogs can hear it, you’ll start to see much more complex forms taking shape.

So, how does it work? Well the salt is reacting to the frequency of the note, and making patterns according to the sound wave that is being emitted. The study of these patterns is called ‘cymatics‘ and as my friend Wikipedia tells me, it was discovered by a scientists called Hans Jenny.

Now that you’ve watched the video, you want to try it for yourself don’t you? Well, you’ll need a good sized amplifier, and a black surface membrane to place on top of it. Oh and also a good few pots of salt to go on top. I wouldn’t recommend you use the salt to put on your dinner afterwards though.