Measuring Wave Speed in Water
Wave speed in water
- You can measure the speed of waves through water using a ripple tank
- Start by recording the depth of the water in metres
- Use the ripple tank dipper to create water waves with a normal frequency
- Dim the main lights and put on a strobe light.
- Increase the freqency of the strobe light until the waves appear to the standing still. (strobe light frequency = water wave frequency)
- Use a ruler on the white paper below the ripple tank to measure the distance between two adjacent peaks.
- Use the wave equation to calculate the speed of the waves
- Repeat this experiment for a variety of water depths
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Waves should travel more quickly in deeper water.