Treatise on Acoustics

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxxi

   PDF

2. Preliminary Observations

   • E. F. F. Chladni

   Pages 1-2

3. Numerical Ratios of Vibrations

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 3-3

      PDF

   2. Section 1: Primary Ratios

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 5-18

   3. Section 2: Altered Ratios or Temperament

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 19-25

4. Characteristic Vibrations of Sounding Bodies

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 27-27

      PDF

   2. Section 1: General Remarks

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 29-32

   3. Section 2: Vibrations of Strings

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 33-39

   4. Section 3: Vibrations of a Stretched Membrane

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 41-42

   5. Section 4: Vibrations of the Air in a Wind Instrument

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 43-55

   6. Section 5: Vibrations of a Rod or a Straight Strip

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 57-67

   7. Section 6: Vibrations of a Bent Rod

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 69-71

   8. Section 7: Vibrations of Plates

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 73-122

   9. Section 8: Vibrations of Bells and Vessels

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 123-126

   10. Section 9: On the Coexistence of Several Modes of Vibration in the Same Sounding Body

       • E. F. F. Chladni

       Pages 127-134

   11. Section 10: On the Coexistence of Vibrations with Other Sorts of Motions

       • E. F. F. Chladni

       Pages 135-136

5. On Transmitted Vibrations, or the Propagation of Sound

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 137-137

      PDF

   2. Section 1: On the Propagation of Sound Through Air and Through Other Gaseous Fluids

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 139-162

   3. Section 2: On the Propagation of Sound Through Liquids and Solids

      • E. F. F. Chladni

      Pages 163-170

6. On the Sensation of Sound: On the Hearing of Men and Animals

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 171-171

      PDF

E.F.F. Chladni’s experiments and observations with sound and vibrations profoundly influenced the development of the field of Acoustics. The famous Chladni diagrams along with other observations are contained in Die Akustik, published in German in 1802 and Traité d’Acoustique, a greatly expanded version, published in French in 1809. This is the first comprehensive translation of the expanded French version of Traité d’Acoustique, using the 1802 German publication for reference and clarification.  The translation was undertaken by Robert T. Beyer, PhD (1920-2008), noted acoustician, Professor of Physics at Brown University, and Gold Medal recipient of the Acoustical Society of America. Along with many other projects completed over the course of his career, Dr. Beyer translated Von Neumann’s seminal work, Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics from the original German, spent 30 years translating Russian physics treatises and journals, served as editor of the English translation of the Soviet Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, and also authored Sounds of our Times: Two Hundred Years of Acoustics.

• Acoustics of Bells
• Auditory organs in animals
• Beyer Chladni Translation
• Chladni Acoustics
• Chladni Diagrams
• Chladni Traité d’Acoustique
• Chladni Treatise on Acoustics
• History of Acoustics
• History of Acoustics Chladni
• Human Hearing
• Musical Acoustics
• Musical Acoustics Strings
• Numerical Ratios of Vibrations
• Sound Propagation
• Sound Propagation Air
• Sound Propagation Liquids
• Sound Propagation Solids
• Vibration and Sound
• Vibrations of Plates
• Wind Instrument Acoustics

“The book gives a good and detailed insight into the times of pre-numerical acoustics around 1800. Robert T. Beyer's book can be recommended to those willing to study in detail what the thoughts of a leading experimental physicist were—despite that they were all called ‘philosophers at that time.” (Heinrich Metzen, Noise Control Engineering Journal, Vol. 64 (5), September-October, 2016)

• Wittenberg, Germany

  E.F.F. Chladni

Policies and ethics