PHYSICS PROJECT REPORT

WAVE MOTION

MADE BY:

SANU SOUMYA

XI-C

Roll No-29
 INDEX

1. Certificate
2. Acknowledgement
3. Aim
4. Material Required
5. Preparation
6. Theory
7. Procedure
8. Observations
9. Result
10. Precautions
11. Sources of Error
12. Bibliography
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Sanu Soumya of class XI-C has worked under
my supervision on the project titled WAVE MOTION and has
completed the same to my total satisfaction.

ASHISH BHATTACHARYA
(PHYSICS TEACHER)
BIRLA VIDYA NIKETAN
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my sincere gratitude and wish to thank our

Physics teacher- Mr. Ashish Bhattacharya for his advice, support and
guidance in making this project a success.

Also, my heartfelt thanks to our laboratory assistant Mr.Satish Kumar

Kedia, who has helped me greatly in this endeavour.

SANU SOUMYA
XI-C
 AIM
To study the motion in a wave and how light waves change when
moving through different media such as glass and air.

MATERIAL REQUIRED
1. Kebab Sticks
2. Clay dough
3. Duct Tape
4. Clamp Stands
 PREPARATION

1. Spread the tape and attach its end to 2 clamp stands such that it
stretches maximum.
2. Place the kebab sticks on the tape at the centre and at equal
distances (5cm).
3. Make equal sized balls from the clay dough.
4. Attach the clay balls to the ends of the kebab sticks.
5. Put the tape over the sticks to make the model more secure and
strong.
 THEORY
Wave motion is a disturbance which travels through a medium due to
repeated vibrations of the particles of the medium about their mean
positions, the disturbance being handed from one particle to the next
particle.
A wave can be transverse or longitudinal. Transverse waves occur
when a disturbance creates oscillations that are perpendicular to the
propagation of energy transfer.
Longitudinal waves occur when oscillations are parallel to the
direction of energy propagation. While mechanical waves can be both
transverse and longitudinal, all electromagnetic waves are transverse
in free space.

Longitudinal Wave
 PROCEDURE
1. At one of the ends, disturb or displace the last stick from its
mean position vertically to a small height and observe.
2. Now displace the stick at one end to a greater height as
compared to the step before.
3. Repeat the step and now give a harder and quicker jerk to the
stick at the end.
4. Now remove clay balls from half of the sticks from one end.
Create a disturbance from the end where the stick has clay balls.
 OBSERVATION

S.No EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION Change In

Speed Of
Wave
1. When the stick The disturbance is No change.
at one end is carried to the
given a slight other end and
disturbance. then comes back
again.
2. When the stick The disturbance is No change.
is given a carried to other
greater end with greater
magnitude amplitude.
disturbance.
3. When the stick The disturbance is No change.
is given a harder carried to the
and quicker jerk. other end but of
shorter
wavelength and
higher
frequencies.
4. When clay balls There is an Yes, It
from half of the increase in the increases.
sticks are speed of the wave
removed. as it enters the
part where there
are no beads.
 RESULT

When disturbance is given at one end the kinetic energy of the stick
makes the next stick oscillate. These sticks, in turn, transfer energy to
the next one which begins to oscillate and a result energy is
transferred which cause the disturbance to move from one end to the
other.
Whenever the medium is the same, the speed of the wave is the same.
However, when the medium changes, the speed changes.

PRECAUTIONS

1. Sticks should be placed at an equal gap.

2. Sticks should be of equal length.
3. Sticks should have same radius.
4. Sticks should be attached at the centre of the tape.
5. Clay balls must be same weight and size.

SOURCES OF ERROR
1. The machine may not be stable due to slight change in length
and thickness of each stick.
2. The unequal weight of clay balls may cause instability to the
model.
 BIBLOGRAPHY

http://www.google.com
http://en.wikipedia.org
http:// www.instructables.com
http://www.youtube.com