A struck bell’s overtones enter at different times, shaping perceived timbre.

Evidence

The figure shows the onset of the striking of the bell, and it can be seen how the frequency components enter at various times and not in synchrony with each other. This is discussed in terms of the perceived timbre of different instruments in Section 5.2.2. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1315

Categorization

• STORYSTEM: The asynchronous entry of a bell’s frequency components is a rich sensory detail — could anchor a scene where a character reads meaning into a bell’s staggered tones.
• XREF: connects to: An Indian temple bell’s low tone grows louder over seconds after striking — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1319