Unit Goals:What is a wave? How do they act? How are do waves differ?
Goals: SWBAT...
1. Discuss waves’ properties using common vocabulary and they will be able to predict the behavior of waves through varying medium and at reflective endpoints
Warm-Up (5min):
1. When you increase the amplitude of a wave, what happens to each of the following characteristics?
a. Height
b. Closeness of the waves (frequency)
c. Pattern (does the wave stay constant, or is it changing?)
d. Wavelength
CLASSWORK
1. #059A: Waves on a String
Directions:
1. Open Waves on a String: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/wave-on-a-string
2. With the Oscillate button on and with No End checked, investigate waves more carefully using the Amplitude slider.
Write answers to the following after your group has talked about each and agreed.
a) Define Amplitude in everyday language.
b) Explain how the wave behaves as the Amplitude changes using the characteristics you described in the warm-up
c) Use a rope/string/ on the floor for some investigations and explain how you could change the Amplitude of a wave.
3. Repeat step number 2, for Frequency, Tension and Damping.
4. Set Amplitude on high, Frequency to .25Hz, Damping on none, and Tension on low. Also, have on Oscillate, Timer and No End. Use the Pause button to freeze the wave.
a) Place a blank piece of paper on your monitor and trace the wave and the wave generator. Mark the green balls. This is a vertical position- horizontal position graph, label your axes.
b) Quickly press Play, and then Pause again. Use the same piece of paper, put it on the monitor and make sure to get the generator in the same spot. Trace the new wave.
c) Write about the differences and similarities in the characteristics. You may have to do some more tests by pressing Play, then Pause and tracing to test your ideas.
5. Same settings as above in #4. Set Amplitude on high, Frequency to .25Hz, Damping on none, and Tension on low. Also, have on Oscillate, Timer and No End. Use the Pause button to freeze the wave.
a) Measure the vertical location of a green ball with a ruler. B) Record the vertical position and time.
b) Quickly press Play, then Pause repeatedly to make a data table the vertical position of the green ball versus time.
c) Make a graph of vertical position versus time.
d) Write about the differences and similarities between vertical position- horizontal position graphs and vertical
position-time graphs.
6. Investigate how waves behave when the string end is Fixed and Loose with Manual settings. Discuss the behavior with your partners, or think about it on your own. Test your ideas and the write a summary.
7. Read to find out what a standing wave is, investigate how to produce one with the simulation and write a procedure that another student could follow to produce a standing wave. Links on standing waves are immediately below:
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/Lesson-4/Traveling-Waves-vs-Standing-Waves
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/Lesson-4/Formation-of-Standing-Waves
At Home Learning (HW)
1. Complete #059A. If you were on point in class today, you'll only have part 6 and 7 to complete at home.