Prior Knowledge Questions (Answer 1&2 BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. A buoy is anchored to the ocean floor. A large wave approaches the buoy. How
will the buoy move as the wave goes by?
The buoy will move because the wave will push it.
2. The two images show side views of ocean waves. How are the two sets of waves different?
The two images showing the two
different sides of the ocean waves
are different because the first image
of the wave is higher than the
second image of the ocean wave.
Gizmo Warm-up
Ocean swells are an example of waves. In the Waves Gizmo, you will observe
wave motion on a model of a spring. The hand can move the spring up and
down or back and forth.
To begin, check that the Type of wave is Transverse, Amplitude is 20.0 cm, Frequency is 0.75 Hz,
Tension is 3.0 N, and Density is 1.0 kg/m. (Note: In this Gizmo, “density” refers to the linear mass density,
or mass per unit length. It is measured in units of kilograms per meter.)
1. Click Play ( ) in the GIZMO. How would you describe the motion of a transverse wave? Click Pause (
). Notice the crests (high points) and troughs (low points) of the wave.
Spring model moves up and down as the wave goes from left to right.
, wave where the coils of the spring model are close together and the rarefactions where the coils are
spread apart.
Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
(ONLVL & Pre-AP) ● Click Reset. Select Transverse waves.
● Set Amplitude to 20.0 cm, Frequency to 1.0 Hz,
Measuring waves Tension to 2.0 N, and Density to 2.0 kg/m.
Question: How do we measure and describe waves?
1. Observe: Click Play. Observe the motions of the hand and of the green dot in the middle.
A. What is the motion of the hand? the hand moves up and down
B. Turn off the Lights on the checkbox and The green dot moves up and down
observe the green dot. What is the motion of
the green dot?
C. Follow the motion of a single crest of the The crest moves to the right
wave. How does the crest move?
In a transverse wave, the motion of the medium (what the wave moves through—in this case, the spring)
is perpendicular to the direction of the wave. So, each point of the spring moves up and down as the wave
travels from left to right.
2. Measure: With the lights on, click Pause. Turn on Show rulers.
A. Use the horizontal ruler to measure the horizontal distance -100
between two crests. What is this distance?
This is the wavelength of the wave.
B. What is the distance between the two troughs? -100
The wavelength can be found by measuring the distance between two successive crests, two
successive troughs, or any two equivalent points on the wave.
C. Click Reset. Set the Density to 1.0 kg/m. Click Play, and then -140 cm [ 141.4 cm]
Pause. What is the wavelength of this wave?
3. Measure: Click Reset. The amplitude of a transverse wave is the maximum distance a point on the wave
is displaced, or moved, from its resting position. Turn off the lights. Click Play, and then click Pause. Use
the vertical ruler to measure the height of the green trace, showing how far the green dot moved up and
down.
A. What is the height of the green trace? 40 cm
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