Inreach Demos

PXL_20230503_182819896.TS.mp4

The above video is a high speed video once the tuning fork hits the water's surface.

The video below shows normal speed.

PXL_20230503_182719939.mp4

Tuning Fork Vibrations

Materials:

1 tuning fork
1 cup filled with water
paper towels

Instructions:

Strike the tuning fork gently.
Place on the surface of the cup of water.
Observe the vibrations.

Classroom Adaptations:

Best practice: Allow students to do this in small groups of 3-4 and take turns. Set up one cup of water and one tuning fork at each table. Never have more than one tuning fork per cup of water.
If you don't feel comfortable giving each group a tuning fork, do this in front of the whole class using the doc camera.

PXL_20230418_164324841.mp4

PXL_20230503_201502427.mp4

Wave Machine

Materials:

1 meterstick per student
1 stopwatch per student
About 50 straws
Masking tape

Set-Up:

Carefully roll out the tape. The recommended length is 1-2 meters. A two-meter length is a nice length if you have the space.
Place tape sticky side up securely between desks or partitions.
Place straws on top of the tape with a two-finger gap between each straw. If you'd like to be precise, you can mark the center of the straws. Some twisting of the tape might occur. Don't spend too much time on this part.
It's best if you can get students to help by placing the straws on the tape. Have them use two fingers widths to use as a separation guide for the wave machine.
Once it's complete, admire your work.

Predictions and Observations:

Have students make predictions and observations regarding:

direction of motion for the individual straws and direction of motion for the wave energy.
reflections at boundaries
how to change the speed of the wave

Data Collection:

Have students find the speed of the wave.
Repeat for multiple measurements.
Repeat again for high frequency waves.
(Time allowing) Repeat again for large amplitude waves.

Tips:

Have students measure the wave machine. Discuss measurement.
It can be easier if you can see the reflections to measure the wave speed after it has reflected and come back to the starting point.
Stopwatches are tricky. If all students are timing and you feel comfortable, you can take the class average for time of wave travel.

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