B Mechanical Resonance and Natural Frequency at the Atomic/Lattice Level

[Alr]

How do we explain resonance of a complex system (say a bridge) at the atomic level? What's happening to its molecules when it's oscillating at resonance, and does that have anything to do with the frequency at which the molecules oscillate in the material?

 

[Lord Jestocost]

Mechanical resonance frequencies of complex macroscopic objects depend on the elastic properties of the constituting materials. At the end, it’s the „springlike interatomic forces“ which allow macroscopic elastic deformations at all.

 

[berkeman]

How do we explain resonance of a complex system (say a bridge) at the atomic level? What's happening to its molecules when it's oscillating at resonance, and does that have anything to do with the frequency at which the molecules oscillate in the material?

http://web.mit.edu/course/3/3.11/www/modules/elas_2.pdf

 

[Alr]

Thank you both. That's exactly what I'm looking for.