1839-1894

German physicist who performed work in acoustics, particularly the physics of standing waves and associated phenomena. Kundt may be best known for his work on air vibrations and standing waves. In 1866 he invented the "Kundt's tube," a glass tube in which dust is shown to collect at the nodes of standing waves, enabling the measurement of sound velocity in gases and solids. Today, his work is being used in the field of acoustic levitation, where sound waves are used to suspend droplets or small solid objects in ovens for more even heating.