Waves Lab:
Virtual Lab (Click Here)
Note: Click here for instructions on how to enable chrome to access the lab in adobe flash.
Virtual Lab (Click Here)
Note: Click here for instructions on how to enable chrome to access the lab in adobe flash.
Background:
Most waves are wind generated. The size of a wave depends on how long the wind blows, the strength of the wind, and fetch (the distance over which the wind blows). The water in a wave moves in a circular orbital pattern downward to a depth of one-half the wavelength. As waves get longer their frequency decreases but their speed increases. The amplitude or height of a wave is an indication of how much energy is in the wave.
Step 1: Click on the link above. Select “slow” for speed and small for size Click the start button to generate waves. Click the step button repeatedly to stop the wave and see each step of its motion. Using the grid, measure the wave’s amplitude and wavelength. Record your numbers below. Using the timer, measure the period (the time it takes for two wave crests to pass a point. Now, continue to change the speed and size settings and fill in the rest of the data table. Finally, calculate the speed of each wave by dividing the wavelength by the period. Update the table in the performance task with your data.
Step 2: What effect, if any, does increasing the size of the plunger have on the amplitude (or height) of the waves?
Step 3: What effect, if any, does increasing the size of the plunger have on the period of the waves?
Step 4: What effect, if any, does increasing the size of the plunger have on the wavelength of the waves?
Step 5: What effect, if any, does increasing the speed of the plunger have on the amplitude of the waves?
Step 6: What effect, if any, does increasing the speed of the plunger have on the period of the waves?
Step 7: What effect, if any, does increasing the speed of the plunger have on the wavelength of the waves? What happens to the speed of the waves as they get shorter?
Step 8: Is there a relationship between the period and the wavelength of a wave? If so, describe it.
Step 9: Is there a relationship between the period and the amplitude of a wave? If so, describe it.
Step 10: Is there a relationship between the wavelength and amplitude of a wave?
Most waves are wind generated. The size of a wave depends on how long the wind blows, the strength of the wind, and fetch (the distance over which the wind blows). The water in a wave moves in a circular orbital pattern downward to a depth of one-half the wavelength. As waves get longer their frequency decreases but their speed increases. The amplitude or height of a wave is an indication of how much energy is in the wave.
Step 1: Click on the link above. Select “slow” for speed and small for size Click the start button to generate waves. Click the step button repeatedly to stop the wave and see each step of its motion. Using the grid, measure the wave’s amplitude and wavelength. Record your numbers below. Using the timer, measure the period (the time it takes for two wave crests to pass a point. Now, continue to change the speed and size settings and fill in the rest of the data table. Finally, calculate the speed of each wave by dividing the wavelength by the period. Update the table in the performance task with your data.
Step 2: What effect, if any, does increasing the size of the plunger have on the amplitude (or height) of the waves?
Step 3: What effect, if any, does increasing the size of the plunger have on the period of the waves?
Step 4: What effect, if any, does increasing the size of the plunger have on the wavelength of the waves?
Step 5: What effect, if any, does increasing the speed of the plunger have on the amplitude of the waves?
Step 6: What effect, if any, does increasing the speed of the plunger have on the period of the waves?
Step 7: What effect, if any, does increasing the speed of the plunger have on the wavelength of the waves? What happens to the speed of the waves as they get shorter?
Step 8: Is there a relationship between the period and the wavelength of a wave? If so, describe it.
Step 9: Is there a relationship between the period and the amplitude of a wave? If so, describe it.
Step 10: Is there a relationship between the wavelength and amplitude of a wave?