Wave Properties

Part 1 — Does the wave carry matter?

1. Switch to rope mode. Watch the gold marker particle for ten seconds. Does it travel along with the wave, or does it stay in place?
2. Now switch to slinky mode. Watch the marker again. What direction does it move in? How does this compare to the direction the wave itself is travelling?
3. Complete this sentence: Waves transfer ___________ but they do not transfer ___________.

Part 2 — Label the wave

1. Before turning on the annotations overlay, sketch the rope on your worksheet and label: amplitude, wavelength, one wavefront, equilibrium position.
2. Turn the overlay on and check your labels.

Part 3 — Measure wavelength and period

1. Set frequency to about 2 Hz.
2. Turn on the wavelength ruler. Position it between two adjacent crests. Read λ from the ruler scale.
3. Turn on the time cursors. Position them one period apart on the temporal view (both at a peak, one cycle apart). Read the two times and subtract to find T.
4. Record both values in your results table.

Part 4 — The wave equation (discovery)

1. Repeat Part 3 for three different frequencies: 1 Hz, 2 Hz, 3 Hz.
2. For each row, also calculate f = 1 / T. Does this match the frequency dial?
3. For each row, calculate f × λ. What do you notice about the answer?
4. Write a sentence describing the relationship between wave speed, frequency, and wavelength.

Part 5 — Extension (wave speed)

1. Turn on "Show wave speed control". Keep frequency fixed at 2 Hz and vary the wave speed. What happens to λ?
2. Use the relationship from Part 4 to predict λ when v = 1.5 m/s and f = 2 Hz, then check by measuring.