Interaction of Waves
Waves interact with the environment. This is what causes things like echoes or ripples in the water. These interactions depend on the properties of the wave and the properties of the medium in which the energy is traveling through.
Observe the demonstration to the right.
Then try to come up with a hypothesis for why the arrow appears to change direction.
Before you leave class, you will write a E/R or Observation and Inference relationship as an exit ticket.
Read the following pages from the text about Interactions of Waves. Take 2 Column notes. While you read, identify the reason for the illusion above.
To understand why the arrow switches direction, we need to understand that as the light energy passes through the glass and water, the speed and direction changes.
This Refraction causes the focal point to change. This is actually how our eyes work.