Introduction to Waves Virtual Exploration Lab

Waves Intro

Test Your Knowledge! What do you already know?

Label the structures on the wave below: Crest, Trough, Equilibrium, Amplitude, &

Wavelength.

Waves: Water
Click on the link at the top of the page
and select “Water”. Here you can see a
spigot with a green button. You can view
the waves in the water as a graph and
manipulate the amplitude and frequency.

Describe the difference between amplitude and frequency. ______________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Select “Graph”. What is the equilibrium line for this simulation? __________________

Switch to the Side View. Use the tape measure to find the height of the crest: _____

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Increase the frequency to its maximum. Is there any change in the height of the

crest? ______________________________________________________________________

Reset the frequency and increase the amplitude to its maximum? Is there any

change in the height of the crest? _____________________________________________

Hypothesize! Why does increasing amplitude increase the height of the wave?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Waves: Sound

Select the “Sound” option at the bottom

of the screen. Here you can see a horn
with a green button. Click the button
and observe the movement of the
sound waves. You should hear a pulsing
sound coming from the simulation.

What similarities exist between the waves in the water and the sound waves? (Hint:

Look at the graph!) __________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Select “Play Tone” and record your observations in the table below.

Change in Wave Change in Sound

Increase in Frequency

Decrease in Frequency

Increase in Amplitude

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 Decrease in Amplitude

Hypothesize! What relationship exists between frequency, amplitude, and sound

waves? _____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Select “Particles”. What can you observe? ______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Hypothesize! Why do you think the particles are more active at the source of the

sound and less active as they move away? ______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Waves: Light

Select the “Light” Option at the bottom of

your screen. This part of the simulation
looks at the visible light spectrum, which is
the section of electromagnetic radiation
visible to the human eye.

Hit the button and watch how the light waves move. Then, click on the amplitude
bar and drag it down to almost zero. What happens to the intensity of the light?

____________________________________________________________________________

Increase the amplitude up to its maximum level. How do the waves change?

____________________________________________________________________________

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Hypothesize! Why do you think an increase in amplitude leads to an increase in

brightness? _________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Use the simulation to fill in the table below. Press pause and use the tape measure
to find the length of the wave for each color.

Frequency (Color) Wavelength (nm)

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Light Blue

Dark Blue

Light Purple (Violet)

Dark Purple (Indigo)

Based on the data above, how does a change in frequency impact the properties of

light? ______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

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