LAB 2 – Simulation

Properties of a Wave on a String

Aim
To explore the following for a wave on a string:
i. Frequency, Wavelength, and Wave Speed
ii. Reflection
iii. Superposition
iv. Damping
Apparatus
Computer simulation: Phet – Wave on a String
Wave on a String 1.1.22 (colorado.edu)
Procedure
Fundamentals of Wave Motion
1. Select Oscillate on the LHS and No End on the RHS
2. Click Play
You will see a wave moving from the LHS to the RHS. When you want to make a
measurement, click Pause.
3. Use the Step button to bring the crest of the wave to any convenient point.
4. Using the Rulers and the Timer, analyze the wave and determine the following for
it, in both magnitude and unit.
i. Amplitude, A = 0.007s / 7.5x10-3m

ii. Wavelength , λ = 4.2 cm

iii. Period, T = time for a peak to travel a distance of 1 λ = 0.66

iv. Frequency, f = = 1.5 Hz  1 / 0.66

v. Wave speed, v (measured) = = 6.36 cm/s

vi. Wave speed , v (calculated) = f λ = 6.3 cm/ s

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 Reflection
1. Select Pulse on the LHS and Fixed End on the RHS
2. Choose the Amplitude to be 0.75cm
3. Click the green button Pulse once to get a triangular pulse, and see what
happens at the RHS fixed end.
4. Answer the following questions, based on your observation:
i. Does the reflection change the speed or amplitude of the wave pulse?

NO IT DOES NOT

ii. Is the wave pulse reflected with the same orientation that it had originally, or is
it inverted?
IT INVERTS

5. Now, change the RHS from Fixed End to Loose End, send a pulse and see what
happens at the RHS Loose End.
6. Answer the following questions, based on your observation:
i. Does the reflection change the speed or amplitude of the wave pulse?

YES

ii. Is the wave pulse reflected with the same orientation that it had originally, or is
it inverted?
SAME ORIENTATION

Superposition
In this exercise, you will explore what happens when two wave pulses
superpose/add up.
1. Choose Pulse on the LHS and Loose End on the RHS
2. Leave the Amplitude at 0.75cm as before.
3. Click the green button Pulse once and immediately press the Pause button.
4. Click the green button Pulse again.
5. Now, you will see 2 pulses. When they are about to meet, click the Pause button.
6. Using the Step button, analyze what happens when the two pulses just
overlap.
7. Answer the following questions, based on your observation:
i. What is the amplitude of the resultant pulse when both the pulses have the
same orientation?
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 Higher Smaller Almost zero

ii. What is the amplitude of the resultant pulse when both the pulses have the
opposite orientation?

Higher Smaller Almost zero

8. Repeat the above exercise, with the first pulse’s amplitude at 0.75cm and the
second pulse’s amplitude at 1.00cm
9. Answer the following questions, based on your observation:
i. What is the amplitude of the resultant pulse when both the pulses have the
same orientation?

Higher Smaller Almost zero

ii. What is the amplitude of the resultant pulse when both the pulses have the
opposite orientation?

Higher Smaller Almost zero

Effect of Damping
So far, you kept the Damping at zero. What happens when it is not zero?
1. Select the Oscillate mode on the LHS and the No End on the RHS.
2. Keep the Amplitude at 1.00cm and Frequency at 0.75Hz
3. See the effect of damping for Damping values of 0, 20, 50 and 100
Quantitatively, in the presence of damping, the amplitude of the wave decreases with
time as:
−λt
A= A o e
where,
Ao is the initial amplitude at t = 0
λ is a constant
Plotting A versus t will give an exponential decay; it won’t be a straight line! Placing
the equation in the form
y=mx +c

we get:
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 ln ln A=ln ln A o + ln ln ( e−λt )
ln ln A=ln ln A o +(−λt)
Rearranging, you get:
ln ln A=(−λ ) t+ ln ln A o

To investigate this exponential decay, keep Damping at 30.

4. Press the Play button.
5. When you see that the wave has progressed all the way to the No End, press the
Pause button.
6. Carefully use the Step button until the green spot on top of the wrench is at its
maximum height Ao
7. You can now measure the amplitudes at 5 crest values and 4 trough values
Note that these are separated in time by T/2, where T is the period i.e. the time
taken by a peak to travel one wavelength
8. Tabulate your data neatly in the table below
9. Plot ln A vs t
10. Obtain the value of λ from the graph

Results
Table showing………..
Run Time, t (s) Amplitude, A(cm) ln A
1 0s 1cm
2 0.665s 0.8cm
3 1.33s 0.7cm
4 1.995s 0.6cm
5 2.66s 0.5cm
6 3.325s 0.4cm
7 3.99s 0.38cm
8 4.655s 0.22cm
9 5.32s 0.2cm

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