Lab 4-1-2-1 Compression Waves March 14, 2018 Page 135
Focus question What defines a wave? Step 1
SPRING CARE GUIDELINES The spring is a delicate piece of science lab equipment that you are entrusted with. Transport the spring in its box to and from the materials station. At all times, keep the spring entirely in contact with the table surface. The spring should never be dangled or waved through the air. If a spring accidentally becomes tangled, immediately call your teacher over to assess the situation.
What Is a Compression Wave? A compression wave is also called a longitudinal wave. The wave moves in the same direction (longitudinally to) the spring
A. Make One Compression Wave The anchor holds one end of the spring in one spot on the table. The wave-maker holds the other end of the spring and stretches it out about 1.5 meters long, flat on the table. One flagger attaches a piece of tape to the spring about halfway down the spring. Flaggers stand on either side of the spring to observe. Using a push-pull motion in the exact direction of the spring, the wave-maker sends a strong pulse down the length of the spring. Record observations on page 134 of your science notebook, called Compression Spring Observations
Reflection What happened to the masking-tape flag? Where did the masking-tape flag end up? When you made a single compression wave, what happened when the wave reached the end of the spring? Did the entire strength of the wave reflect? Step 5
B. Make a Series of Compression Waves The wave maker repeats pulses rapidly in succession counting “1…2…3…” up to 10. Flaggers describe what they see Rotate the roles so that flaggers become the anchor and wave maker, so that everyone has a chance to observe the behavior of the spring Record observations on Page 134 of Your Science Notebook
Was there any reflection in the series of compression waves? Share observations Was there any reflection in the series of compression waves? Step 7
All waves have two things in common: Wave characteristics All waves have two things in common: They move in a back-and-forth pattern. They transfer energy. Step 8
Wave characteristics What back-and-forth pattern of motion did you see with the series of compression waves? What energy did the compression wave transfer? Energy of motion is called kinetic energy. Step 8
Diagram of Compression Wave (Draw on 134) Crest Trough Direction of Wave Action Wavelength ( λ )