basics of natural frequency
 

basics of "natural frequency"
can anyone explain to me what the natural frequency of a building is? i've seen all the formulas and such, but what is it in physical terms? thanks.
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the natural frequency of a building is the speed at which it sways back and forth when it is pushed. a tall building will sway or rock back and forth as a result of wind and in tall buildings you can see water in the sink rock back and forth opposite the motion of the building.
the subject of natural frequencies is much more complicated but this is the essence of how they act.
quite honestly with a question like this you need to get your engineering physics book out...
regards,
qshake
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you know when you whack a tuning fork and it vibrates at a specific frequency? that is the tuning fork's "natural frequency". well it's the same for buildings. if you excite a building with wind or an earthquake it will naturally vibrate at a certain frequency just like the tuning fork. of course a building has a much lower frequency than a tuning fork...