When a cymbal is hit, how does the energy dissipate?

Question

When a flat surface is hit, is it like throwing a stone in water? If so, are the sound waves similar to the waves which the stone creates? Will the frequency of sound produced be just one frequency with harmonics? Can E = h nu be used for sound as well (using h=frequency of sound)?

Does the stone image also apply to the cymbal? Or does the energy travel sideways along the cymbal so that only one part of the cymbal vibrates? How does a cymbal produce sounds of different frequencies depending on where you hit it?

Answer 1

All noise is vibration.

The cymbal will send vibration waves out from the centre in circular waves to its outer edge.

It will depend on where you hit the cymbal to give a different sound because of the differing lengths the waves have to travel

Answer 2

Look at the cymbal edge on, and notice that it is shaped like a graph that you would see on an spectrum analyzer. The center frequency being the highest amplitude and the side frequencies being lower in power.

The bell of the cymbal and it's shape will control the power and tones.

The cymbal is created to control overtones and power and pitch.

It will use the same idea as the stone in the pond scenario.

But the waves coming from the cymbal are being created inside the cymbal throughout it's various structures, like the bell and flatter surfaces.

A standing wave also occurs within it as it finds resonance. It's this resonance which is then bled off into the air.

Higher pitces are due to the profile of the cymbal seen edge on. When the profile becomes higher, the pitch goes up.

Answer 3

A lot of energy. Sorry, Physics is not my best subject.