What material was used to coat the recording surface, such as paper or parchment, used by the phonautograph?
Answer
Dark soot or lampblack
The mechanical inscription process required a surface that could easily show the fine trace left by the stylus. The recording medium, which was paper or parchment, was prepared by being coated with a layer of dark soot, often specifically referred to as lampblack. As the stylus moved in response to the sound vibrations, it scraped away or displaced this carbon deposit, leaving a continuous, visible line—the phonautogram—that represented the pressure fluctuations of the sound wave over time.
Related Questions
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