Tishka & LumenFrost
Tishka Tishka
Hey, I was just listening to this low‑frequency hum and it made me wonder about how sound waves might line up with light waves—like if a particular pitch could influence the way light scatters off a surface. What do you think?
LumenFrost LumenFrost
That’s a neat thought experiment. In reality, a 50‑Hz or 100‑Hz hum barely nudges a surface, so the scattered light won’t notice it. Sound does move matter, but the optical response only changes appreciably if the vibration is at a frequency that matches a resonant mode of the material or if the strain alters the refractive index enough—what we call a photoelastic or acousto‑optic effect. So unless you’re driving a surface at a much higher acoustic frequency or using a highly strain‑sensitive material, the light won’t “feel” the low‑frequency tone. It’s not impossible, but it’s usually a tiny, often negligible effect unless you specifically engineer it.