frekvenslåsing

Frekvenslåsing, often translated as frequency locking or entrainment in English, is a phenomenon where two or more oscillating systems, such as pendulums, electronic oscillators, or biological rhythms, synchronize their frequencies and phases. This synchronization occurs when the systems are coupled, meaning they can influence each other. The stronger the coupling, the more likely frequency locking will occur.

When frequency locking happens, the natural frequencies of the individual oscillators do not necessarily have to be identical. Instead, they tend to settle into a state where one oscillator's frequency is a simple integer or rational multiple of the other's. For example, one oscillator might vibrate at twice the frequency of another, or they might vibrate at the same frequency but with a fixed phase difference. This stable relationship is what defines the "lock."

The concept of frequency locking is observed in various scientific disciplines. In physics, it's seen in coupled pendulums, where synchronized swinging can emerge. In electronics, it's crucial for the operation of many circuits, such as phase-locked loops (PLLs) used in radio receivers and signal generators. In biology, it explains how biological rhythms, like the firing of neurons or the beating of heart cells, can synchronize. Even in the realm of astronomy, tidal locking, where one celestial body always shows the same face to another, can be considered a form of frequency locking on a much grander scale. The underlying principle is always the same: mutual influence leading to synchronized oscillation.