Internet Archive: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse

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Detail Page

published by the Internet Archive

This web page contains the original footage of the 1940 collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, a mile-long suspension bridge in the state of Washington. The collapse occurred due to strong gusting winds which drove the span into large-amplitude oscillatory motion. The footage is 2 minutes, 35 seconds in length.

The collapse of the bridge was recorded on film by Barney Elliott, owner of a Tacoma camera shop. In 1998, The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The sound track which accompanies this archived film clip is also an historic item, originally recorded for a 1940's documentary.

Please note that this resource requires Flash.

https://archive.org/details/SF121

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
General Physics - History Oscillations & Waves - Wave Motion	- High School - Lower Undergraduate - Middle School	- Audio/Visual = Movie/Animation

Appropriate Courses	Categories	Ratings
- Physical Science - Physics First - Conceptual Physics - Algebra-based Physics - AP Physics	- Activity - New teachers	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Intended Users:: Learner
General Public
Educator
Format:: application/flash
Access Rights:: Free access
License:: This material is released into the Public Domain.
Keywords:: forced oscillation, historic video, oscillation, resonance, resonance frequency
Record Creator:: Metadata instance created March 28, 2009 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: August 2, 2016 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: February 20, 2009
Other Collections:: The PSRC

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This resource is part of a Physics Front Topical Unit.

Topic: Wave Energy
Unit Title: Standing Waves and Resonance

The phenomenon of resonance becomes very important in structural engineering, as can be observed in this historic video of the 1940 collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The famous suspension bridge disaster occurred when high wind gusts set up a resonant vibration in the bridge, causing large-amplitude oscillatory motion. This video was digitally reformatted from the original film footage shot on the scene.

Link to Unit:

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=8760">Internet Archive. Internet Archive: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse. San Francisco: Internet Archive, February 20, 2009.</a>

AIP Format

(Internet Archive, San Francisco, 1940), WWW Document, (https://archive.org/details/SF121).

AJP/PRST-PER

Internet Archive: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse (Internet Archive, San Francisco, 1940), <https://archive.org/details/SF121>.

APA Format

Internet Archive: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse. (2009, February 20). Retrieved October 7, 2024, from Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/SF121

Chicago Format

Internet Archive. Internet Archive: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse. San Francisco: Internet Archive, February 20, 2009. https://archive.org/details/SF121 (accessed 7 October 2024).

MLA Format

Internet Archive: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse. San Francisco: Internet Archive, 1940. 20 Feb. 2009. 7 Oct. 2024 <https://archive.org/details/SF121>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Title = {Internet Archive: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse}, Publisher = {Internet Archive}, Volume = {2024}, Number = {7 October 2024}, Month = {February 20, 2009}, Year = {1940} }

Refer Export Format

%T Internet Archive: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse %D February 20, 2009 %I Internet Archive %C San Francisco %U https://archive.org/details/SF121 %O application/flash

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %D February 20, 2009 %T Internet Archive: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse %I Internet Archive %V 2024 %N 7 October 2024 %8 February 20, 2009 %9 application/flash %U https://archive.org/details/SF121

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Citation Source Information

The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References.

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