RippletankExperiment

By: Anon Durongpisitkul

Thanon Thamvorapol
Kimmy Pathanasap
Pajaree Chalongkitcharoen
Suchanuch Putaprapasri
Objectives
The main objectives for this experiment is to demonstrate the reflection of a wave to
understand its property and variety of ways that wave patterns can be generated.

Introduction
Properties of plane waves such as reflection, refraction,interference, and diffraction can
be demonstrated by using the ripple tank experiment. The process of observation are to create
waves and watch the shadow reflected under the tank. Focusing on the interference on this
project, two types of interference are expected, one is single slit and the other is double slits.
The wave generators (which in this case is a sheet of metal we will repeatedly tap) will create
waves, which will pass through the slit(s).
As waves passes through the slits, they diffract, creating an overlap between waves and
thus generating interference patterns. Another thing to be observed is reflection. For this
experiment, we decided only to observe circular reflection.The semi-circular aluminium sheet
will be the barrier for the wave fronts to reflect off of. This will make the straight wave reflected
and focus onto a point then the straight wave will change into a circular wave.
To create a ripple tank, use a clear acrylic sheet to make the tank for observing the
reflection of the wave. Different shape of aluminium sheets will be put in one by one put in to
create different wave shapes.

Materials
Acrylic Sheets Acrylic Cutter Acrylic Mate
Stopwatch Sand paper Aluminum Sheet

Tripod

Experiment setup
Detailed Construction and building.

1. Measure 5 sheets of acrylic : 1 sheet of 30 x 40 cm, 2 sheets of 30 x 10 cm, and

2 sheets of 40 x 10 cm
2. Cut the acrylic sheets with the acrylic cutter.
3. Use sandpaper to scrub all the sides of all acrylic sheets to smoothen and even
out the sides.
4. Prepare 7 sheets of aluminium : 1 sheet of 28 x 10 cm, 2 sheets of 13 x 10 cm, 3
sheets of 8 x 10 cm, and 1 curve sheets with the height of 10 cm and make half
circle of 28 cm diameter
 5. Use marker to mark 2 lines, the first line 10 cm apart from the edge and the
second line 5 cm apart from the first line, on the 2 sheets of 30 x 10 cm
6. Use marker to mark another 8 cm line : 15 cm from the edge, onto the 30 x 40
acrylic sheet
7. Use acrylic cutter to cut half into the lines that we mark
8. Stick the aluminium sheets onto the lines : 13 x 10 cm onto the first line, and 8 x
10 cm onto the second and third lines
9. Stick all the acrylic sheets together using acrylic mate, making up a box with no
cover
10. Place the curve aluminium sheet onto the 30 x 40 acrylic sheet next to the
11. Prepare the holder made up of pipe
12. Place the acrylic box onto the holder

Introduction
Discuss Concepts + Experimental Design

Properties of plane waves such as reflection, refraction,interference, and diffraction can

be demonstrated by using the ripple tank experiment. The process of observation are to create
waves and watch the shadow reflected under the tank. Focusing on the interference on this
project, two types of interference are expected, one is single slit and the other is double slits.
The wave generators (which in this case is a sheet of metal we will repeatedly tap) will create
waves, which will pass through the slit(s).
As waves passes through the slits, they diffract, creating an overlap between waves and
thus generating interference patterns. Another thing to be observed is reflection. For this
experiment, we decided only to observe circular reflection.The semi-circular aluminium sheet
will be the barrier for the wave fronts to reflect off of. This will make the straight wave reflected
and focus onto a point then the straight wave will change into a circular wave.

To create a ripple tank, use a clear acrylic sheet to make the tank for observing the
reflection of the wave. Different shape of aluminium sheets will be put in one by one put in to
create different wave shapes.

Procedure
1. Build the Acrylic tank
2. Set up the slits for one slit interference
3. Use one piece of rectangular metal sheet and tap on the water many times, observe the
wave pattern.
4. Repeat with two slit interference setup.
 5. Repeat with circular screen

Data

Type of Normal Single slit Double Picture

Barrier interferen slit
ce interfere
nce
None Yes None None
None None Yes None

None None None Yes

 Circular None none none

Analysis Data
Possible ways to improve

So as you can see, the pictures arent really clear, mostly because the acrylic is too dense to let
light through so instead of observing the pattern on the tracing paper below, we had to look at it
directly on the tank. But, we did observe the fact that the waves did refract & changed patterns
as it went through the slits, also the waves properly reflect off the circular screen, proving the
property of reflection.

Conclusion
Does. Varies with.. How does the experiment prove....

So in the end, the waves properties of interference, reflection, and refraction proves true. First,
the interference properties of the waves are proved true, as the two slits interferences
demonstrate the constructive & destructive interference. Next, waves are also said to go around
obstacles, that is why you can see the wave fronts change as they pass through the slits. Also,
the reflection of the circular screen proves the waves property of reflection.

Recommendation
Future ways of reducing human errors + more regulation +

Use a much much more transparent acrylic material.

Find a more uniform way to generate the waves.
Find a way to secure the Aluminum sheet to the tank firmly.
Due to a limitation of budget, the number of acrylic cutter we can afford to buy is limited as well.
So The work can be done by one person at the time, combining with a small amount of time, the
project can be done properly.

References
Serbanescu, R. (2015). Wave phenomena: ripple tank experiments . Retrieved from utoronto:

https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~phy225h/experiments/ripple/RIPPLE.pdf