Guiding Question: How do reflecting waves interact at different frequencies?
Hypothesis: I think that if we have a slower frequency of waves, hitting a surface straight on, we might get more standing waves, whereas if we have a higher frequency of waves, there might be destructive interferences. If we create the waves at an angle, they will just reflect and move back in the opposite direction to which they got sent.
Exploration:
Materials:
Marker or Styrofoam Ball (1)
Plastic Tray (1)
Water (enough to fill tray)
Procedure:
1.) Dip the styrofoam ball or marker in the tray of water slowly, creating waves. Make sure that you are not making the waves hit the other side of the tray at an angle - they need score direct hits. Observe what happens.
2.) Keep creating waves in the same place as where you started, and increase the speed with which your dipping the styrofoam ball or marker. Observe the reactions of the waves, and record.
3.) Move your hand so that you’re now creating waves to hit the plastic end of the tray at an angle. Slow the wave frequency down. Observe what happens.
4.) Keep your hand in the same place it is in now, and increase the wave frequency. Observe what happens, and record.
5.) Complete all the other lab requirements after finishing this process.
Table:
Analysis of Data: I noticed that in all circumstances, the waves hit the edge of the tray with enough energy to bounce back. In almost all cases, the waves bouncing back were not easily visible when bouncing back, but they did, all the same. In many cases, the waves either spread out to hit all the edges of the tray, or they take on some strange shape - flower petals, rounded rectangles, regular waves followed by flowers... When I made the waves hit the tray at a straight angle, they were more likely to visibly expand better. When I made the waves hit the edges at angles, they did expand, but not as well.
Conclusion: I think that reflecting waves interact in basically the same way even at different frequencies and angles. Waves reflecting at a high frequency bounce off the edge of the tray and overlap, creating standing and destructive waves. My hypothesis was incorrect, because at both frequencies, destructive waves were created, slowing down the ones that had collided. I still don’t really understand why this happens, but I do understand that it does happen.
Further Inquiry: The major causes of error occurring in my experiment could have been that my eyes weren’t sharp enough. I might have thought I saw a destructive interference, when really it was something completely different. To prevent this from happening, I could take a video of it next time, and watch the tape multiple times in slow motion to really understand what is happening in my tray, and attempt to find more patterns. Some more questions I could ask could be, “What happens when waves reflect through deeper and shallower water,” or “How do waves reflect in smaller spaces?”
Hypothesis: I think that if we have a slower frequency of waves, hitting a surface straight on, we might get more standing waves, whereas if we have a higher frequency of waves, there might be destructive interferences. If we create the waves at an angle, they will just reflect and move back in the opposite direction to which they got sent.
Exploration:
Materials:
Marker or Styrofoam Ball (1)
Plastic Tray (1)
Water (enough to fill tray)
Procedure:
1.) Dip the styrofoam ball or marker in the tray of water slowly, creating waves. Make sure that you are not making the waves hit the other side of the tray at an angle - they need score direct hits. Observe what happens.
2.) Keep creating waves in the same place as where you started, and increase the speed with which your dipping the styrofoam ball or marker. Observe the reactions of the waves, and record.
3.) Move your hand so that you’re now creating waves to hit the plastic end of the tray at an angle. Slow the wave frequency down. Observe what happens.
4.) Keep your hand in the same place it is in now, and increase the wave frequency. Observe what happens, and record.
5.) Complete all the other lab requirements after finishing this process.
Table:
| Hitting Angle: | Straight | Straight | Angle | Angle |
| Frequency: | High | Low | High | Low |
| Reaction: | -Waves are larger -Waves expand to hit all surfaces of tray -All waves bounce back, but not conspicuously -Waves aren’t completely circular (like round squares) | -Waves are not as distinct -Waves expand to hit all surfaces of tray -Waves bounce back more visibly -Waves bouncing back are very light. | -From early on, waves spread out in flower form (3 petals) -Waves hit surfaces + bounce back multiple times -Creates plaid-like surface -Never reaches far corner of tray | -Waves are circular, followed by petals -Waves gradually fade -Waves hit surface + bounce back, but they are barely visible |
Analysis of Data: I noticed that in all circumstances, the waves hit the edge of the tray with enough energy to bounce back. In almost all cases, the waves bouncing back were not easily visible when bouncing back, but they did, all the same. In many cases, the waves either spread out to hit all the edges of the tray, or they take on some strange shape - flower petals, rounded rectangles, regular waves followed by flowers... When I made the waves hit the tray at a straight angle, they were more likely to visibly expand better. When I made the waves hit the edges at angles, they did expand, but not as well.
Conclusion: I think that reflecting waves interact in basically the same way even at different frequencies and angles. Waves reflecting at a high frequency bounce off the edge of the tray and overlap, creating standing and destructive waves. My hypothesis was incorrect, because at both frequencies, destructive waves were created, slowing down the ones that had collided. I still don’t really understand why this happens, but I do understand that it does happen.
Further Inquiry: The major causes of error occurring in my experiment could have been that my eyes weren’t sharp enough. I might have thought I saw a destructive interference, when really it was something completely different. To prevent this from happening, I could take a video of it next time, and watch the tape multiple times in slow motion to really understand what is happening in my tray, and attempt to find more patterns. Some more questions I could ask could be, “What happens when waves reflect through deeper and shallower water,” or “How do waves reflect in smaller spaces?”
Good conclusion. I can see that you knew exactly what you wanted to test. However, remember that you are to identify the independent variables (manipulated) and dependent variables. Good job overall!
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