Cycle I Idea Journal

Instructions:  Use the activities (computer and hands-on) to answer these questions.  You may find that the activities you perform do not go in the order of the questions posed here.  That is ok.  The goal is to answer all of these questions by the conclusion of your activities.  You also need to support your answers with evidence from your activities.  DO NOT ANSWER A QUESTION IF YOU CANNOT BACK IT UP WITH EVIDENCE FROM THE ACTIVITIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     Your answers should be in the order they are questioned here.  You will lose points if you don’t answer each question and if you don’t back up each of your answers with evidence from the experiments.   (Words in blue are meant to help you, not to be answered)

 

1.    What does the term wave speed mean?  (wave speed is represented by v)

A.   How can you measure wave speed? (Literally speaking:  how did you physically measure the speed of a wave in one – or several – of your experiments)

B.   What factors affect the speed of a wave? (eg.  Did:  The frequency with which you shook the spring?  how hard you shook the spring?  the type of spring (slinky vs. tight coil)?…etc.  Did any of these affect wave speed?)

C.  What factors do not affect the speed of a wave?

D.  How does changing the tension of the spring affect the wave speed?  (eg.  If it is more tense, what is the resulting change in wave speed?)

 

2.    What is the amplitude of a wave? (Amplitude is represented by A)

  1. How can you measure the amplitude of a wave?
  2. How does increasing the amplitude of a sound wave affect the wave speed? 
  3. How does increasing the amplitude of a sound wave affect the wavelength? 
  4. How does increasing the amplitude of a sound wave affect the pitch/frequency?
  5. How does the amplitude of a single wave change over time (in other words, is the amplitude greater, less than, or the same at the beginning of its pulse as at the end of its pulse)?
  6. How do our ears interpret amplitude of sound waves?

 

3.  What is the frequency of a wave? (frequency is represented by f)

  1. How can you measure wave frequency? 
  2. How does increasing the frequency of a wave affect the wave speed?
  3. How does increasing the frequency of a wave affect the wavelength?
  4. How does increasing the frequency of a wave affect the amplitude?   
  5. How does the frequency of a wave change over time?  (eg.  increase, decrease, same)
  6. How do our ears interpret frequency of sound waves?

 

4.  What is the wavelength of a wave? (wavelength is represented by l)

  1. How can the wavelength of a wave be measured?
  2. How does increasing the wavelength of a wave affect the wave speed?
  3. How does increasing the wavelength of a wave affect the frequency/pitch?
  4.  How does increasing the wavelength of a wave affect the amplitude?   
  5. How does the wavelength change over time? (eg. increase, decrease, same)

5.  What kind of MATHEMATICAL relationship exists between wavelength, wave speed, Amplitude and frequency?  You need a formula here.  Look at your experimental data and look for a relationship.  You must give EVIDENCE!!!!!!!! (HINT:  It is possible that one or more of these factors does NOT even enter into the equation!)

 

6.  What happens when a wave encounters a barrier in the medium where it is traveling?

  1. How are the incoming wave and reflected wave related when the wave hits a solid barrier? Does the wave return on the same side or opposite side (think slinky)?
  2. How are the incoming wave and reflected wave related when the wave hits a flexible barrier?

Does the wave return on the same side or opposite side (think slinky)?  

  1. At what angle does a reflected wave reflect relative to an angled wall?