What's the difference between entrainment and resonance?

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Entrainment occurs when a vibrating object aligns its frequency with a more powerful vibrating object, while resonance involves one object causing another to vibrate at the same natural frequency. The terms are not interchangeable; entrainment implies mutual influence, whereas resonance is typically a one-way interaction. Oscillation and vibration can be used interchangeably, although "oscillation" often refers to regular vibrations like simple harmonic motion. The concept of natural frequency suggests that while objects may vibrate, they can still be set into motion to resonate with another object at a different frequency. This distinction clarifies the dynamics of how energy transfer occurs between vibrating systems.
quantum1234
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This has been confusing me for a couple of days, maybe it's because I just started self teaching physics (which isn't going so well lol)

So entrainment is when one vibrating object begins resonating to the same rate as the more powerful, higher vibrating object. Resonance is when one vibrating object causes another vibrating object with the same resonant frequency, to vibrate.
Isn't is basically the same thing? or are the terms used interchangeably?

Oh and as an added question (i'm sorry) are the terms 'oscillating' and 'vibrating' used interchangeably?
 
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hi quantum1234! welcome to pf! :smile:
quantum1234 said:
So entrainment is when one vibrating object begins resonating to the same rate as the more powerful, higher vibrating object. Resonance is when one vibrating object causes another vibrating object with the same resonant frequency, to vibrate.
Isn't is basically the same thing? or are the terms used interchangeably?

i think entrainment is mutual resonance … each of two objects affects the other … while resonance is usually one-way
Oh and as an added question (i'm sorry) are the terms 'oscillating' and 'vibrating' used interchangeably?

more or less

but i think in practice "oscillation" would only be used to describe a pretty regular vibration (like simple harmonic motion)
 
Thank you, it makes better sense now, but I am still a little bit confused about resonance.
So resonance causes an object to transfer energy to another object if they both share the same natural frequency AND if the two objects are vibrating at different frequencies.

So what I don't understand is:
"Natural frequency is the frequency at which a system naturally vibrates once it has been set into motion."
- I read a while back that everything in the universe is in a constant state of vibration so how is something set into motion if it's supposed to be already vibrating? And so how can two objects be vibrating at different frequencies if they share the same natural frequency already?

I hope you understand my question, I have a feeling that I worded it oddly, if so please tell me and I'll rewrite it :)
Again, thank you!
 
quantum1234 said:
- I read a while back that everything in the universe is in a constant state of vibration so how is something set into motion if it's supposed to be already vibrating?

(where did you read that? :confused:)

most of the vibrations are pretty random
 
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