# Ice resonancating frequency

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-resonancating-frequency/239004>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 8, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-resonancating-frequency/239004 "2004-04-08T18:43:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![reverence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@reverence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reverence)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-resonancating-frequency/239004/1 "2004-04-08T18:43:59Z")

</div>

Hey all.  
Could someone tell me the resonating frequency of Ice (ie, the frequency at which it would start to vibrate and break)?  
Is it possibly the same frequency as water?  
Cheers 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![reverence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@reverence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reverence)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-resonancating-frequency/239004/2 "2004-04-08T18:46:32Z")

</div>

whoops, massive title spelling error!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-resonancating-frequency/239004/3 "2004-04-08T18:54:26Z")

</div>

There isn’t one. The resonant frequency of an object depends on both its geometry and its composition–specifically the speed of sound through it. If you want to know the specific resonant frequency of a given object you’ll need to measure it, using an oscilloscope (or a voltmeter with a broad frequency response, such as a VTVM) and a variable oscillator. As you tune your oscillator (connected to an amplifier and a speaker), you’ll notice a strong voltage peak across a microphone held against the object when the oscillator is tuned to the object’s resonant frequency. Objects with complex geometries may have more than one resonance.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![reverence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@reverence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reverence)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-resonancating-frequency/239004/4 "2004-04-08T19:05:19Z")

</div>

damn, had a feeling that would be the answer, i just didnt want to hear it 😃  
Cheers