Ripple tank experiment Flashcards
What is the aim of the experiment?
To measure the frequency, wave speed and wavelength of waves in a ripple tank.
What equipment is needed?
.lamp
. white card
. Ruler
.Pencil
. Camera
. timer
.motor and power supply
. shallow glass ripple tank
. dipper or wooden rod
. water
What is the first step of the method?
Set up the apparatus. Ensure there is about 5 cm depth of water in the ripple tank and then dim the lights.
What is the 2nd step of the method?
Adjust the height of the dipper/wooden rod so that it just touches the surface of the water.
What is the 3rd step of the method?
Switch on the motor and adjust until low frequency waves can be clearly observed on the white card under the tank.
What is the 4th step in the method?
You can also set up a camera to record the waves on a tripod and place a timer to measure the time and a pencil as a marker.
What is the 5th step in the method?
Measure the length of a number of waves then divide by the number of waves to record wavelength (as it can be difficult to count just 1 wave exactly). It might be more more practical to measure it from the paused video footage.
What is an easier way of measuring the wavelength? (using an average)
You could measure 10 waves then divide the number by 10 to find the average wavelength for 1 wave.
What is the 6th step in the method?
Count the number of waves passing a point (marked by the pencil) in 10 seconds, then divide that number by 10 to record the frequency.
What is the 7th step of the method?
Calculate the wavespeed, using wavespeed = frequency x wavelength
What are some risks and hazards? What are the control measures for this?
Electrical components near water could lead to shock and damage to components. To avoid this you could secure electrical components before adding water taking care not to splash.
Why is this method suitable for measuring waves?
it allows you to measure the wavelength without disturbing the waves.
