Vibroscope ( 'vibrate' + scope) is an instrument for observing and tracing (and sometimes recording)

vibration Vibration () is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. Vibration may be deterministic if the oscillations can be characterised precisely (e.g. the periodic motion of a pendulum), or random if the os ...

. For example, a primitive mechanical vibroscope consists of a vibrating object with a pointy end which leaves a wave trace on a smoked surface of a rotating

cylinder A cylinder () has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infinite ...

. Vibroscopes are used to study properties of substances. For examples,

polymer A polymer () is a chemical substance, substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeat unit, repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their br ...

torsional In the field of solid mechanics, torsion is the twisting of an object due to an applied torque. Torsion could be defined as strain or angular deformation, and is measured by the angle a chosen section is rotated from its equilibrium position. Th ...

modulus and

Young's modulus Young's modulus (or the Young modulus) is a mechanical property of solid materials that measures the tensile or compressive stiffness when the force is applied lengthwise. It is the modulus of elasticity for tension or axial compression. Youn ...

may be determined by vibrating the polymers and measuring their frequency of vibration under certain external forces. Similar approach works to determine

linear density Linear density is the measure of a quantity of any characteristic value per unit of length. Linear mass density (titer in textile engineering, the amount of mass per unit length) and '' linear charge density'' (the amount of electric charge per ...

of thread-shaped objects, such as

fiber Fiber (spelled fibre in British English; from ) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often inco ...

s, filaments, and

yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. '' Thread'' is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern ...

. Vibroscopes are also used to study sound in different areas of the mouth during speech.

Jean-Marie Duhamel Jean-Marie Constant Duhamel (; ; 5 February 1797 – 29 April 1872) was a French mathematician and physicist. His studies were affected by the troubles of the Napoleonic era. He went on to form his own school ''École Sainte-Barbe''. Duhame ...

published about an early recording device he called a vibroscope in 1843.

References

Oscillation Measuring instruments {{physics-stub