Interference in a Ripple Tank

Add to list Go to activity
Activity link broken? See if it's at the internet archive
In this optics activity, learners explore interference by adding wax blocks to a ripple tank. Learners will discover how and why interference bands (or fringes) occur when waves collide and cross paths. This activity is recommended as a follow-up to "The Ripple Tank" and "Diffraction Between Wax Blocks" activities (see related resources).

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Learning Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per student
Age Range:
Ages 14 - adult
Resource Type:
Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

Keywords

Subjects

  • Life Sciences
    • Human Senses and Perception
      • Vision
  • Physical Sciences
    • Vibration and Waves
      • Wave Properties
      • Wave Motion
      • Diffraction and Interference
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Cobb, Vicki ; Cobb, Josh

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Optical Society of America, 2008