Name: _____________________________________________ Period: ______ Date: _____________________

Standing Waves Exploration of WAVE INTERACTIONS

At: ​phet.colorado.edu/​ find “Wave on a String” Click: Play with Sims → Physics (on the left) → Click on the "Wave on
a String" simulation → Run Now! Take a few minutes to play with the simulation and familiarize yourself with the
controls.

Reflection​:​ ​(define the word ​reflect​) ______________________________________________________________

1. Set the simulation to ​pulse​ and ​fixed end​. Set ​damping​ to 0 and ​tension​ to high. Send a single pulse and record your
observations about the behavior of the pulse below. Use the word “reflection” in your definition.

2. Keep all other settings the same and set the simulation to ​loose end​. Record your observations about the behavior of the
pulse below.

3. Keep all other settings the same and set the simulation to ​no end​. Record your observation about the behavior of the
pulse below.

4. Based on your observations from questions 1, 2, and 3, what is needed to produce a ​standing wave​?

5. Read in your textbook on page 440. What is a ​standing wave? ​Draw the ​third harmonic​ of a standing wave in the
space below and label the ​nodes​ and ​antinodes​.

- Standing Wave:

- Drawing of 3​rd​ Harmonic:

Interference​:​ (define the word interfere) __________________________________________________________
6. Set the simulation the same as for step 1. Send a single pulse down the string. When that pulse is about halfway to the
other end, send a second pulse. Record your observations about the interaction between the two waves below. ​(Hint: you
can pause the simulation and use the "step" button to view the interaction of the waves more slowly.)

7. Reset the simulation and send a single pulse, followed by a second pulse about 1 second later, and a third pulse one
second after that. How do the waves interact? Record your observations about the interaction between the waves below.

8. ​As a group, decide on a question about the interaction of waves that you can test with the simulation. Briefly describe
the experiment you devised to test your question​.

- Group question:

- Experimental procedure:

- Record your observations:

- Based on your experiment and what you saw in steps 6 & 7, what claim(s) can you make about the interactions
of waves?

- Provide evidence from your experiment and your observations from steps 6 & 7 to backup your claims.

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Standing Waves

9. Reset the simulation and switch to ​fixed end​ and ​oscillate​. Set the ​Amplitude​ to 0.75 , ​Frequency​ to 1.35, and ​Damping
to none. Leave the tension at “high”. (Wait a few moments for the simulation to adjust to the changes or hit reset.)
Record your observations of the wave pattern below.

10. Change the ​Frequency​ to 1.86. (Wait a few moments for the simulation to adjust to the changes or hit reset.)
Record your observations of the wave pattern below.

11. Describe any similarities between this pattern and one you produced in step 7.

12. Adjust the ​frequency​ to try and find several other similar (and stable) patterns. Spend not more than 5 minutes on this
part.

Now draw a sketch of each harmonic in the table:.

Harmonic # Sketch Relative Amount of Energy

(1 for lowest –4 being highest)

13. Read in your textbook on page 447 the section on ​Waves and Energy​.
Describe how frequency and amplitude are related to the energy of a wave.

Which one of your wave patterns from question 12 has the most energy and how do you know?