Wave Machine

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This is a great activity about wave interference. Learners will create their own wave machine and discover wave properties through hands-on investigation. Topics specifically addressed include standing waves, free-end reflection and wave velocity. Included are ideas for taking the investigation further by experimenting with sound waves. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org. Activity write-up only, images are unavailable.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 11 - 18
Resource Type:
Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • Transparent tape
  • 11 pencils
  • Two tables or chairs the same height.
  • Alternate materials such as straws, shorter pencils, markers or wood splints.

Keywords

Subjects

  • Physical Sciences
    • Motion and Forces
      • Momentum and Velocity
    • Vibration and Waves
      • Wave Properties
      • Wave Motion

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • National Science Center (Fort Discovery)

Source Collection

  • TryScience

Rights: