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Why do metronomes all sync to each other if set off in the same room with no apparent link.

azzow2 9 Mar 20
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3

waiting for a real answer but it must be related to why those suspended clacking balls go from chaos to synchrony

@MrLizard That one's a myth!

@MrLizard probably more related to the clacking balls than the metronomes

2

because your brain perciveis a link ,

4

Harmonics.

2

One hundred metronomes sychronise

Jnei Level 8 Mar 20, 2018

That is such a phenomenon, I have seen this in physics labs before. It is mind bottling.

@azzow2 Goes hood with a boggle of beer. 😉

kinda reminds me of 'the wall'

read that it's because they are on a hanging platform.. the platform sways and causes them to sync

They are coupled, weakly, by being on a swaying platform. Watch said platform...

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[ted.com]

I think the answer is in this.

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After thinking about it for ten minutes, I decided the most likely answer is that the individual metronomes somehow become weakly coupled to one another, perhaps through vibration. So I Googled a bit and found this [sciencedemonstrations.fas.harvard.edu] and this [en.wikipedia.org]

Jnei Level 8 Mar 20, 2018

Something like warping the time and space around themselves to become harmonica?

@azzow2 Could also be caused by poltergeists.

@Jnei a ghost with ocd obviously

2

Mythbusters disproved that.

Do somewhat recall that episode.However, they were not quite adequate with the conditions. There was a disclaimer with a particular episode.

@Katastrophe1969 My dad got popped for a pee test because of the poppyseed on his begal. Cracked me up at the time because he is so straight laced.

1

They don't. After seeing the video, I have to say that digital ones that I have used don't.

Digital ones wouldn't create vibrations like mechanical ones and thus couldn't weakly couple. If they did harmonise, it'd be evidence of some properly weird juju!

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Theyre all a bunch of weak minded followers.

0

they do it on the same table but if you go too high in number meaning hundreds they don't stay in sink any more

What if they are say on top of a mountain of at sea level do these factors change the timeing?

I don't know as I watched the experiment on Mythbusters. id say they would move quicker in thinner air. they also all have to be on the same table to get in sync with each other.

I was @Stacey48 until they ran out of good myths which was just a matter of time anyway. I don't like the new one at all.

you might like it but like I say even the first Mythbusters ran out of myths @Stacey48

2

Because they are coupled, even if weakly, as shown in this demonstration. On the foam board alone, they are decoupled. On the cans they are allowed to oscilate the whole system (even if only a tiny bit) which weakly couples them together and they eventually synchronize. They are then moved from the cans to the counter top (always remainiing on their foam board) and... they eventually go out of sync.

The shifting of the cans cause them to 'fight' each other when out of sync and 'work together' when in sync. That means that when two of them sync up, those two will begin to 'win' the fight with the other three causing them all to fall in line.

Think about having five people on a swing randomly pushing in different directions (while standing ON the swing). If two of the people get together and start pushing in sync, the other three are going to feel it. It will be more work for them to fight the other two (unless they group up, which still works for this argument). Eventually a third gets tired of fighting and joins the first two. Then a fourth and finally the fifth as it's just easier to go with the flow.

This is the same principle but it's more closely tied to conservation of energy. Meaning it takes more work to stay out of sync than it does to be in sync and thus they sync up to conserve energy.

Sorry, credit where credit is due, the parent document: [sciencedemonstrations.fas.harvard.edu]

1

Sheeples.

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There is a link. Try this Myth Busters vid for grins.

0

They synchronize because of thoughts & prayers... Duh! ?

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