Interactive Transverse Wave Inquiry

Directions: Answer the questions below using the interactive website found on your teachers website.

Purpose: See the relationship between frequency, amplitude and wave speed.

Set Up:

·  Change the button from “manual” to “oscillate”

·  Change the button from “fixed end” to “no end”

·  Lower the dampening to 0.

·  Change the tension to “high”

·  Check the ruler box.

Procedures:

  1. Change the amplitude to 33.
  2. Click the pause button.

a)  What is the wavelength of the wave?

b)  Is the wavelength the same all the way through?

c)  What is the amplitude of the wave?

d)  Is the amplitude the same all the way through the wave?

e)  If the frequency of the wave is 3 hz, what is the speed of the wave?

  1. Press the “play” button again.
  2. Move the frequency up to 100.

f)  How if any did the amplitude change?

  1. Change the amplitude to 65.
  2. Click “pause”

g)  What is the wavelength?

h)  What is the amplitude of the wave?

i)  If the frequency of the wave is 2hz, what is the speed of the wave?

  1. Raise the frequency to 100.
  2. What do you notice about the wave?
  3. Move the frequency to 0.

j)  What do you notice?

k)  Why would a frequency of 0, make no wave? (hint think of the definition of frequency).

Overall Purpose Questions:

l)  If you increase the frequency of a wave, how (if any) is the amplitude affected?

m)  If you decrease the frequency of a wave, how is the length of the wave affected?

n)  If you increase the amplitude, how (if any) is the wavelength affected?

o)  What is the relationship between frequency and speed? (If you increase the frequency what happens to the speed of a wave?

  1. Play around with this website.