University:
Iowa State University
Course:
PHYS 132 | General Physics II
Academic year:

2022
Views:

198

Pages:

2
Author:

Carissa Thomas

Making Waves Virtual Lab This activity can be found in your digital course. Suppose you are an engineer tasked with designing a wave pool in which surfers can practice. How could you change the sizes of the waves that are produced? Record Data and Observations □ 1. In the table below, record your observations while investigating how the sizes of waves change as you change the plunger’s size and speed. Plunger Size Small Small Plunger Speed 8 2.5 Moderate Fast Medium Slow Medium Wavelength of Wave (no units) Slow Small Medium Amplitude of Wave (no units) 2.5 2 5 8 5 Moderate Fast 4 2.5 4 2 5 Slow 7.5 Large Moderate 7.5 4 Large Fast 7.5 2 Large 8 Analyze and Conclude 1. Analyze Data How did the amplitudes and wavelengths of the waves produced in the wave pool change as you increased the size of the plunger head? Every time the plunger head size was raised by an increment, the amplitude went up by about 2.5, however, the wavelength did not change. 2. Analyze Data How did the amplitudes and wavelengths of the waves change as you increased the speed at which the plunger head pushed down on the water? Every time the speed the plunger was moving raised, the wavelength decreased by about 50%, however, the amplitude did not change. 3. Apply Concepts Would you recommend a beginning surfer practice on waves with higher or lower amplitudes? Why? Use the term energy in your explanation. I would recommend that if a surfer is just beginning, then they should practice on waves with lesser amplitudes. I would recommend this because since there is less energy, the amplitude of the wave is smaller which in turn makes the crest shorter and easier to surf. 4. Apply Concepts Would you recommend a beginning surfer practice on waves with shorter or longer wavelengths? Why? Use the term energy in your explanation. I would recommend that a surfer who is just beginning should practice on waves with longer wavelengths . I would recommend this because since the waves are moving slower, the waves have less energy which makes the wavelength longer. Since the wavelength is longer, the crests are lower and the troughs are higher making this easier to surf. The energy could be potentially harmful to a beginner surfer because the waves would be harder to surf because of shorter wavelengths and higher crests.