1. Vibration of the Tuning Fork: When the tuning fork is struck, its prongs start vibrating, producing sound waves of a specific frequency.
2. Resonance: The frequency of the tuning fork's vibration matches the natural frequency of vibration of the table tennis ball suspended from the thread. This is known as resonance, where the amplitude (extent of movement) of the ball's oscillation becomes significant.
3. Energy Transfer: As the vibrating prong of the tuning fork comes into contact with the table tennis ball, it transfers some of its vibrational energy to the ball. This causes the ball to start vibrating at the same frequency as the tuning fork.
4. Swinging Motion: Due to the continuous transfer of energy, the table tennis ball experiences a back-and-forth motion. The ball swings away from the tuning fork as it receives energy, causing the thread to stretch. As the energy transfer slows down, the ball swings back toward the tuning fork. This cycle repeats, resulting in the ball's continuous swinging motion.
In essence, the table tennis ball acts as a resonator, amplifying the vibrations of the tuning fork and converting them into visible movement. This phenomenon demonstrates the principle of resonance, which has various applications in physics, engineering, and music.