Question

What is meant by resonance? Give two examples of resonance from daily life.

Answer 1

When the frequency of the forced vibration is equal to the natural frequency of a body nearby or an integer multiple of it then the body vibrates with a large amplitude. This phenomenon is called resonance.
E.g.1 all stringed instruments are provided with sound box (or sound chamber). This box is so constructed that the column of of air inside it, has a natural frequency which is the same as that of the strings stretched on it, so that when the strings are made to vibrate, the air column inside the box is set to forced vibrations. Since the sound box has a large area, it sets a large volume of air into vibration of the same frequency as that of the string. So, due to resonance, a loud sound is produced.
E.g.2 Radio and TV receivers have electronic circuits which produce electrical vibrations, the frequency of which can be changed by changing the values of the electrical components of that circuit. When we want to tune a radio or TV receiver, we merely adjust the values of the electronic components to produce vibrations of frequency equal to that of the incoming radio waves which we want to receive. When the two frequencies match, due to resonance, the energy or signal of that particular frequency is received from the incoming waves. The signal is then amplified in the receiver set.