Name_______________________________________ Date___________________ P___
Slinky Wave Lab
Background
A wave can be described as an energy disturbance that travels through a medium from
one location to another. Waves, simply put, are energy moving from one place to
another. As the wave moves through the medium (water, slinky, air), energy is being
passed from one particle to the next. Waves occur around us every day. Some common
places we experience waves are in sound, light, water, and earthquakes.
In addition to being a great toy, the Slinky is an excellent device for creating and
studying waves. A slinky can easily demonstrate the two basic types of waves,
longitudinal and transverse. In a longitudinal wave the particles move parallel to the
direction the wave is moving. In a transverse wave the particles move at right angles to
the direction of wave travel.
There are three basic characteristics used to describe waves.
1. Frequency – The number of waves produced in a given time period. This is
usually measured in waves per second called Hertz (Hz).
2. Wavelength – The length of a wave. This can be measured easily from crest to
crest or from trough to trough.
3. Amplitude – The height or depth of a wave. The amount of energy carried by a
wave is related to amplitude. A high energy wave is characterized by high
amplitude; a low energy wave by low amplitude.
