Waves RP water ripples

set up

a signal generator attached to the dipper of a ripple tank, creating the waves at a set frequency

Step 1:

dim the lights and turn on the lamp - youll see a wave pattern made by the shadows of the wave crests on the screen below the tank

step 2:

the distance between each shadow line is equal to one wavelength. measure the distance between shadow lines which are 10 wavelengths apart, then divide this distance by 10 to find the average wavelength. this is a suitable method for measuring small wavelengths

Step 3:

if your struggling to measure the distance, you could take a photo of the shadows and ruler, and find the wavelength from the photo instead

\:Step

use V = fλ to calculate the speed of the waves

Step 5:

this set up is suitable for investigating waves, because it allows you to measure the wavelength without disturbing the waves.