Waves Required Practicals

Ripple Tank Practical

  1. Set up a ripple tank over a piece of paper
  2. Shine a light source through the ripple tank
  3. Turn off the lights in the room and shut the curtains, ensuring that the room is dark
  4. To measure wavelengths, place a ruler on the piece of paper perpendicular to the wave fronts. Measure the distance between as many wavefronts as possible and divide by the number of waves
  5. To measure frequency, count the number of wavefronts that pass a point in 10 seconds and divide the result by 10
  6. Caculate wave speed using the equation:
    Wave speed = wavelength × frequency
Safety Concerns
  • Do not stare directly at light source

Waves in a Solid Practical

  1. On a table, set up a string running over a pulley and wooden bridge, attached to a vibration generator and a weight
  2. Turn on the vibration generator and adjust the frequency until the string begins to vibrate only vertically
  3. To measure wavelength, use a meter ruler to measure the distance between multiple standing waves, and divide the result by the number of waves measured
  4. To measure frequency, use a timer to time the amount of time it takes for 10 oscillations. Divide the result by 10 to find the time period, then use the equation:
    Frequency = 1/time period
  5. Find the wave speed using the equation:
    Wave speed = wavelength × frequency
Safety Concerns
  • The string may snap