Novice
[This video is extracted from the longer video linked in the "Related Resources" link above].
Building Oscillation Seismic Simulation, or BOSS, is an opportunity for students to explore the phenomenon of resonance of buildings that experience earthquake shaking. All buildings have a natural resonance‚ frequency. If a building is shaken at this frequency, it will oscillate with large amplitude and may be severely damaged or destroyed. If the same building is shaken at either lower or higher frequencies, it will oscillate with smaller amplitudes and may withstand earthquake shaking without significant damage. Students can explore this phenomenon by experimenting with the natural frequencies of the BOSS Model and gain insights into how structures behave dynamically during earthquake shaking.
The BOSS model is an effective way to show how buildings of different heights respond to seismic waves. All buildings have a natural frequency.
This video lecture shows John Lahr (USGS Seismologist Emeritus) describing the BOSS experiment that models oscillations of different height buildings.
John Lahr, US Geological Survey Seismologist, demonstrating a cheap and kid-friendly version of the BOSS model that shows how buildings of different height oscillate during earthquake shaking.
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