DigiNews

Summary

Researchers at Penn State Behrend modeled the Liberty Bell's acoustics using a replica and modal analysis. They used accelerometers and hammer taps to extract natural frequencies and mode shapes, finding a hum note of 174 Hz, a fundamental of 323 Hz, and higher tones close to expectations, while noting differences due to 18th- vs 20th-century casting. The work places these findings in the context of the bell's crack history and prior acoustics research.