Video courtesy of Dmitriy Plaks, University of West Georgia 

4 Comments

1. 1. Greg001 11:43 AM 1/27/08

   Remember how they use an explosive to blow out an oil well fire?
   
   Same thing on a larger scale.
   
   Tell me, you really could not figure this out? It is really a mystery to you?
   
   Then again you, unlike me, probably don't play bass and own a 1000 watt amp that drives 18" speakers so I guess no, maybe you would not know that hitting those low notes could easily blow out a candle or several... ever seen "BACK TO THE FUTURE" where he turns the amp up to 11 (why not make it 10 but louder)? Same concept taken to ridiculous and obviously false hollywood extreme.

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2. 2. Greg001 11:44 AM 1/27/08

   Um, testing - where is my comment? The others all showed up immediately despite the disclaimer!

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3. 3. gabevee3 04:56 PM 10/9/08

   If you notice, the flame does not "blow" out, but reduces in intensity. The sound makes standing waves of high and low pressure. Since the air molecules stay in place, they do not move into the flame to fuel the flame. The flame goes out. Like electrons in wire, the air molecules don't actually move, but are relaying the *energy* back and forth (cork bobbing up and down on a water wave is an example. Cork doesnt follow wave because water doesn't actually move). Only wind moves air, such as when a low pressure area confronts a high pressure area. It makes wind inasmuch as the higher pressure air is moving toward the lower pressure. Speaker cones do not constantly push as does a fan blade. It pushes and pulls air, so the net result is actually the acoustic *energy* moving toward our ears, not the air. That is also why a wind can actually move the sound from a source away from you.
   
   But I could be all wrong.

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4. 4. bgeorgop in reply to Greg001 10:45 AM 7/6/12

   Greg001, it was This Is Spinal Tap, Not BTTF.

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