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Chris -- 2018-04-11

#1 2007-06-29 16:30:44

klakritz
Eggcornista
From: Winchester Massachusetts
Registered: 2005-10-25
Posts: 674

'resident frequency' for 'resonant frequency'

An inherent property of oscillatory systems- like pendulums, violins and certain electrical circuits- is that they possess one or more frequencies at which they vibrate with greatest amplitude; these are the system’s resonant frequencies. Since a resonant frequency is an inherent property of an oscillator, it’s easy to construe it as residing within the oscillator, hence, ‘resident frequency.’

This is fairly uncommon, as the kind of people who use technical terms like ‘resonant frequency’ tend toward precise communication. Examples:

Yes the tuning fork has a resident frequency designed into it buy the materials used and it’s physical form factor. www.network54.com/Forum/78440/thread/11 … perature+-

Every living thing on this planet has its own resident frequency, and the biofeedback machine measures these frequencies and waves. It’s quite amazing.
www.rodcurrie.com/journal.htm

Drive the Pasco unit with a function generator at ~ 0.844 Hz. This is about the resident frequency of the spring with a 100g mass on it. demo1.physics.wisc.edu/MDemos/Writeups/M13DrivenSpringPendulum.htm

The research considered the various effects of mode shapes, resident frequency, non-linear cyclic effect, endurance limits, and stress variations …
stinet.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA390211

“The resident frequency of a Meyer USW or 650 is something like 37Hz,” he explains.
livedesignonline.com/mag/show_business_prison_break/

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#2 2007-06-29 16:54:09

jorkel
Eggcornista
Registered: 2006-08-08
Posts: 1456

Re: 'resident frequency' for 'resonant frequency'

I seem to recall the usage (by disk jockeys) that a radio station may “reside” at a particular frequency on the dial. I don’t know whether this is proper, however. I suspect it came about by the route that you suggest: that “resonant” morphed into “resident.”

At any rate, your physics examples above are clear eggcorns where “resonant” would be the more proper term.

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