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Lab Experiment on Waves: Observations and Calculations, Exams of Physics

A lab experiment on waves, focusing on longitudinal and transverse waves, their interference, and periodic waves. Students are required to perform various tasks such as observing wave behavior, measuring wave speed, and calculating experimental error. The document also includes instructions for producing standing waves.

What you will learn

  • How does the size of a transverse wave change as it travels along a spring?
  • What happens to a longitudinal wave when it reaches the other end of a spring?
  • What occurs when two transverse wave pulses meet in the middle of a spring?

Typology: Exams

2021/2022

Uploaded on 09/27/2022

jamal33
jamal33 🇺🇸

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Intro to Waves Lab Name: Date:
Group Members:
Start-Up:
Stretch your spring out to a length of 6.1 meters (20 floor tiles, each floor tile is 0.305 meter), with
one person at each end.
Part 1: Longitudinal (compressional) Waves
With your free hand, grasp the spring about 50 cm from the end. Pull the spring straight back
towards the end of the spring, compressing the spring. Then release the spring, being careful not to
let go of the end of the spring.
1. Describe in words and drawings what you see after releasing the spring.
2. What happens to the wave when it reaches the other end of the spring?
Part 2: Transverse Waves
Move your hand very quickly and sharply to the right (about 30 cm out) and back to its original
position. (Practice until you can produce a single large pulse that travels down only one side of the
spring.)
3. Describe in words and drawings what you see after releasing the spring.
4. Describe in words and drawings what happens to the wave when it reaches the other end of the
spring.
5. Does the size of the wave change as it travels along the spring? Describe both its amplitude and
its wavelength.
Please be gentle with the springs. They are easily tangled and mangled. DO NOT overstretch
the springs; they will become permanently deformed. Return them to their plastic bag when you
are finished with the lab.
pf3

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Intro to Waves Lab Name: Date:

Group Members:

Start-Up:

Stretch your spring out to a length of 6.1 meters (20 floor tiles, each floor tile is 0.305 meter), with one person at each end.

Part 1: Longitudinal (compressional) Waves

With your free hand, grasp the spring about 50 cm from the end. Pull the spring straight back towards the end of the spring, compressing the spring. Then release the spring, being careful not to let go of the end of the spring.

  1. Describe in words and drawings what you see after releasing the spring.
  2. What happens to the wave when it reaches the other end of the spring?

Part 2: Transverse Waves

Move your hand very quickly and sharply to the right (about 30 cm out) and back to its original position. (Practice until you can produce a single large pulse that travels down only one side of the spring.)

  1. Describe in words and drawings what you see after releasing the spring.
  2. Describe in words and drawings what happens to the wave when it reaches the other end of the spring.
  3. Does the size of the wave change as it travels along the spring? Describe both its amplitude and its wavelength.

Please be gentle with the springs. They are easily tangled and mangled. DO NOT overstretch the springs; they will become permanently deformed. Return them to their plastic bag when you are finished with the lab.

Repeat the procedure, only this time use a stopwatch to measure how long it takes for the wave pulse to travel from one end to the other and back. Record the data below, then calculate the speed of the wave. Next, stretch the spring out to 7.9 m (26 floor tiles), repeat the procedure, and calculate the velocity of the wave. Finally, shorten the spring to 4.9 m (16 floor tiles) and repeat.

  1. Show your data and calculations below. Include error with each measurement and calculate experimental error (show as both a percentage and an actual value).

Trial Length Time Velocity

16 tiles

20 tiles

26 tiles

  1. Does the speed of the wave change if you stretch the spring farther? If so, does the wave travel faster or slower when the spring is stretched farther? If there is a difference, is it within experimental error or does it appear the speed truly changes.

Part 3: Interference of Transverse Waves

In this section, you will be observing what happens when two transverse wave pulses meet each other. Move back to 20 tiles apart. The two people holding the ends of the spring will both send a single wave pulse at the same time, and you should observe what happens when the two waves meet in the middle.

  1. If the two wave pulses are on the same side of the spring, what happens when the two waves meet in the middle of the spring? Describe in words and drawings. (It may be easier to see what is happening if you make the amplitude of one of the waves bigger than the other.)
  2. If the two wave pulses are on opposite sides of the spring, describe in words and drawings what happens when they meet in the middle of the spring?