Chladni, Ernst Florens Friedrich

Chladni, Ernst Florens Friedrich ĕrnst flōˈrĕns frēˈdrĭkh klädˈnē [key], 1756–1827, German physicist. An authority on acoustics, he made studies of the transmission of sound in various gases and of vibrating plates of glass and metal covered with sand, on which were formed the so-called Chladni figures, or acoustic figures. He invented a musical instrument that he called the euphonium. Chladni also studied meteorites and proposed that they are of extraterrestrial origin.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Physics: Biographies