The study revealed that the tone of a clap depends heavily on hand shape and cavity size (as expected). Cupped hands trap more air, producing a lower, deeper pop. Flat palms create higher frequencies.

The researchers used high-speed cameras to track the hand motion, air flow and sound of 10 volunteers clapping, measuring the different frequencies when the size and shape of the cavity between ...

The research, published in the journal Physical Review Research, shows that the characteristic “pop” sound of a clap is not just from two hands smashing into each other but a much more complex ...

Get ready to be annoyed by constant laughing after jokes, clapping after singing, and plenty of other annoying sound effects that will ensure that your conversation is radically different from before.

The results: The hand configuration that produced the loudest clap—85.2 dB—consisted of holding the hands 45 degrees to each other with the palms partially overlapping.

Dynamic acoustics of hand clapping, elucidated Date: March 12, 2025 ... air flow and sound of 10 volunteers clapping, ... The finding, credited to the Marangoni effect, ...