Ripple Tank

• Frequency 


  Use a stopwatch and count the number of waves passing a point in a fixed time period.

  Then divide the time by the number of waves to determine the time for one wave.
• Wavelength

  Use a camera to freeze the image and use a metre rule to measure the distance between two wavefronts. OR Count the number of wavefronts. To then find the wavelength divide the distance by the number of wavefronts counted.
• Velocity

  1. Determine a mean value of frequency and a mean value of wavelength.
  2. wave speed = frequency x wavelength.
  3. OR
  4. Measure the time it takes one wavefront to travel the length of the screen. Measure the length of the screen.
  5. speed = distance / time to determine the speed