Ripple Tank | Physics for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

Investigating Waves with a Ripple Tank

Ripple tanks are frequently utilized in experiments to illustrate various properties of water waves:

• Reflection off a flat surface.
• Refraction resulting from alterations in speed due to depth changes.
• Diffraction through a gap.
• Diffraction along an edge.

Investigating Waves

• Reflection can be demonstrated when waves encounter a flat surface, such as a wall or mirror.

Investigating Refraction

• Refraction can be demonstrated by placing a glass block in the tank.
  • The glass block should be submerged beneath the water surface, covering a section of the tank floor.
• This creates a shallower depth of water where the glass block is positioned.
  • As wave speed is influenced by depth, the ripples slow down when passing over the block.
• This setup effectively models refraction, showcasing how waves decelerate when transitioning from deep water to shallow water.

When water waves travel from deep areas to shallow areas they slow down

Investigating Diffraction

• Diffraction can be demonstrated in a ripple tank by introducing small barriers and obstacles. 
• When water waves encounter two obstacles with a gap between them, the waves are observed to diverge or spread out.

• As water waves reach the edge of an obstacle, they spread out in the following manner:
  
• The degree of diffraction is determined by the relationship between the gap size and the wavelength of the water wave.
• The diagram demonstrates how wavelengths change with frequency in a ripple tank.
  • A higher motor frequency corresponds to shorter wavelengths.
  • Conversely, a lower motor frequency results in longer wavelengths.