Ripple tank practical

• Ripple tank


  A shallow tray of water with a vibrating bar that creates waves across the surface
• Ripple tank


  • Has a lump below the tank and a sheet of white paper above
  • Light shines through the water and produces an image of the waves on the paper
• Measuring wavelength


  1. Place a ruler on the paper

  2. Freeze the image of the waves

  3. Measure the distance between one wave and 10 waves

  4. Divide the total distance by 10 to get the wavelength
• Measuring frequency


  1. Place a timer next to the paper

  2. Count the number of waves passing a point in 10 seconds

  3. Divide the number of waves by 10 to get the frequency
• Frequency


  The number of waves passing a point each second
• Measuring wave speed


  1. Use the wave equation: wave speed = frequency x wavelength

  2. Select a wave and measure the time it takes to move the length of the tank, then divide the distance by the time
• The two methods for measuring wave speed may give slightly different results due to measurement errors
• You'll find plenty more questions on this required practical in the revision workbook