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Phet - Wave On A String Lab (Phet - Colorado.edu) : Research Question: How Does The Wave Behavior Change When The Boundary

This document provides instructions for a lab simulation on wave behavior using the PhET Wave on a String simulation. Students are instructed to work through three parts of the simulation: 1) Measuring wave properties like wavelength and velocity with a fixed boundary condition. 2) Observing how waves reflect differently based on the boundary condition being either fixed, loose, or no boundary. 3) Drawing and analyzing the wave behavior before and after reflection for each of the three boundary conditions.

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Francis Dayan
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
471 views

Phet - Wave On A String Lab (Phet - Colorado.edu) : Research Question: How Does The Wave Behavior Change When The Boundary

This document provides instructions for a lab simulation on wave behavior using the PhET Wave on a String simulation. Students are instructed to work through three parts of the simulation: 1) Measuring wave properties like wavelength and velocity with a fixed boundary condition. 2) Observing how waves reflect differently based on the boundary condition being either fixed, loose, or no boundary. 3) Drawing and analyzing the wave behavior before and after reflection for each of the three boundary conditions.

Uploaded by

Francis Dayan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name: Date: Per:

Phet – Wave on a String Lab (phet.colorado.edu)


 At the end of this lab, you should be able to predict the behavior of an
oscillating system with a Fixed boundary, A Loose End boundary and
No End boundary.
Research Question: How does the wave behavior change when the boundary
conditions are changed?

Go to: http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/wave-on-a-string/latest/wave-on-
a-string_en.html

You will perform this lab with your Breakout Room Group.
One person at a time must be the Simulator so everyone must have the lab up. During the lab, you must take
turns working with the simulation.
The remainder of the group must collect the data and all members must complete the lab sheet and submit it for
credit.

Read all of the directions through before starting this lab.

Part 1: Oscillations Set-up:


1. Open the simulation and click pause and then click on
the following buttons: Ruler, Timer and reference line.
2. Move the reference line so that it overlays the beads.
3. Make the tension in the string High.
4. Change the motion to Slow Motion
5. Change the damping to None.
6. Keep the boundary at “Fixed End”
7. Set the amplitude to ___cm (you must set it as a group)
8. Set the frequency to ___hz (you must set it as a group)

Starting the Oscillation, Start the timer while the simulation is paused.
1. Be ready to pause motion. You will
need to stop the motion just as a
complete wave form is noted. 3. Wavelength: ______(cm), Period:_____(s), Amp_____ (cm)
2. Start the Oscillation and pause it 6a. Wavelength: ______(cm), Period:_____(s), Amp_____ (cm)
when one complete wavelength has 6b. Wavelength: ______(cm), Period:_____(s), Amp_____ (cm)
formed.
6c. Wavelength: ______(cm), Period:_____(s), Amp_____ (cm)
3. Measure the length of the wave:
4. Measure the amplitude of the wave.
5. What is the period of the wave?:
6. Reset the timer, be certain to start it while the simulation is paused.
7. Change the amplitude 3 times and record the wavelength and period each time
U2 D1 Lab, Page 1
8. Was the wavelength changed? If so, how was it changed?
9. What is the medium that the oscillation is traveling through?___________________________________
10. Change the frequency five times. Observe the wavelength (λ) each time and calculate the velocity of the
wave in the medium. v=fλ =λ/T , T =1/f

Frequency, f (hz) Wavelength, λ (m) Period, T , (s) Velocity (m/s)

Part 2: Reflection
Waves reflect differently based on their boundary condition. You are going to look at how the waves behave
based on their boundary type. There are three boundary types that we are going to work with, Fixed (this is a
hard boundary), soft boundary, and a no-end boundary.

11. Pause the oscillation and reset the oscillator.


12. Set the amplitude to 0.5 cm
13. Change the frequency to 1 Hz.
14. Leave the tension and the damping alone.
15. Start the wave and draw how it appears before it hits the boundary.

16. Draw what the wave looks like after it reflects from the boundary?

U2 D1 Lab, Page 2
17. Evaluate the physical appearance of the wave before and after it hits the boundary. How is it the same
and how is it different?

18. Play around with the simulation and figure things out about boundary conditions. See if you can create
a standing wave (a wave that appears not to travel down the medium.

Pause the oscillation and reset the oscillator.


Change the boundary to Loose End.

19. Start the wave and draw how it appears before it hits the boundary.

20. Draw what the wave looks like after it reflects from the boundary?

21. Evaluate the physical appearance of the wave before and after it hits the boundary. How is it the same
and how is it different?

U2 D1 Lab, Page 3
Pause the oscillation and reset the oscillator.
Change the boundary to No End.

22. Start the wave and draw how it appears before it hits the boundary.

23. Draw what the wave looks like after it reflects from the boundary?

24. Evaluate the physical appearance of the wave before and after it hits the boundary. How is it the same
and how is it different?

25. What affect does each boundary type have on the reflected wave form?

U2 D1 Lab, Page 4

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