Mysterious Candle Flame Flickering at Jazz Concert

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SUMMARY

The flickering of the candle flame at the jazz concert was directly linked to the frequency of the drum being played. The drummer's specific drum, struck with a drumstick, produced sound waves that interacted with the flame, causing visible flickering. This phenomenon is similar to how low-frequency bass sounds can cause vibrations in a room, but in this case, it was the higher frequency of the drum that created the effect. The discussion highlights the relationship between sound waves and physical reactions in the environment.

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primal schemer
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Hi All,

I was at a small jazz concert the other day, and was sitting pretty close to the stage. There was a candle on the table i was sitting on, and every time the drummer hit a certain drum, the flame of the candle flickered. There were only three instruments on stage, and the effect occurred even when the other two instuments were silent. Also, I looked, and it wasn`t due to someone tapping their foot or anything like that. and it didn`t seem to happen for any of the other drums / instruments.

So, why was this happenning?

My guess is something to do with the frequency of the drum being somehow related to the flame?

I guess we are all familiar with a large bass sound making the floor of a room vibrate (incidenty, the drum wasn`t the low sounding 'foot' drum (I don`t know the names), but one that he hit with the drumstick). Is this the same effect happening here?

Thanks,

PS
 
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The frequency of a bass drum is so low that you can see both ends of the pressure wave go by. With higher frequency sound, the flame waves back and forth so fast (and therefore moves such a small amount) that you can't see it.
 

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