Observe and analyze the characteristics of the different types of waves and their behavior towards changes in variables.

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Physics Waves Laboratory

Purpose:

To observe and analyze the characteristics of the different types of waves and their behavior towards changes in variables.

 

Materials:

  • Slinky
  • Heavy spring
  • Ruler
  • Dynamometer
  • Timer
  • String

Procedure:

1st Part:

  1. One person grabs the heavy spring on one end, and another person grabs it by the other.
  2. One of the two persons will shake the spring by making a whip like movement, hence starting a wave that will run through the spring, while the other person will hold on tight to the other end trying to avoid the most minimum movement.
  3. Observe how the wave goes and how it returns, its position, direction etc and record the observations.

2nd Part:

  1. Tie a string more or less 10cm long to an end of the heavy spring.
  2. One person grabs the heavy spring on one end, and another person grabs it by the end which has the string tied to it.
  3. The person that is holding the end without a string will shake the spring by making a whip like movement, hence starting a wave that will run through the spring, while the other person will hold the end with the spring loose, thereby trying to allow some movement.
  4. Another way that step III can be done in case that it fails, is by placing the spring on the ground, and create a horizontal wave, meaning that the person holding the string less end, will give it a whip like movement parallel to the ground.
  5. Observe how the wave moves, how it returns, position, direction, etc and record the observations.

3rd Part:

  1. Draw a table (See picture 3.1) of six columns: Median, Distance, Tension, Amplitude, Time and Velocity. And eight rows: The first six medians will be SLINKY and the remaining one will be a heavy spring.
  2. For the first try, two persons will grab a slinky by different ends, place on the ground like in part 2, and with the ruler make sure that both ends are 14 meters apart. With the dynamometer make sure that the tension of the string will be of 2 Newtons.
  3. One of the two persons will shake the spring by making a whip like movement, but the movement has to be of 33 cm in amplitude, hence starting a wave that will run through the spring, while the other person will hold on the other end.
  4. Time how long does the wave take to reach the other end and come back.
  5. Find the velocity using the distance traveled divided by the time it took.
  6. For more accuracy, repeat the steps IV and V three times, and find an average.
  7. Fill the rest of the 3.1 table following the specified medians, distances, tensions and amplitudes, following and repeating steps II, III, IV, V, and VI.
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3.1

  1. Compare the reactions and the different types of waves when the variables that affect them, change. Record the observations.

4th Part:

  1. One person grabs the heavy spring on one end, and another person grabs it by the other.
  2. Place the spring on the ground, and with the ruler measure 33 cm amplitude.
  3. Place an object that will be easy to tip over by a little tap, whether it is a ruler placed in a vertical position or a pen placed in a vertical position, 66cm away from the spring, but just in the middle ...

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