In class, my partner, Francesca, and I saw how waves interact with each other and other objects. We used a wide, shallow tank filled with water, two pipettes, two and a half sticks of clay, a paper towel, and a very small Styrofoam ball. We dropped small amounts of water into the centre of the tank using the pipette, and drew diagrams of how the wave moved. The wave went out in all directions, and another formed after it, so there were lots of circles expanding towards the sides of the tank. They were too feeble by the time they got there to bounce off them.
Then, we dropped water into the corner, and then the side, of the tank. The waves slightly bounced off the sides of the tank nearest to them. We repeated the steps but with two pipettes instead of one, and continued with our diagrams. The two waves overlapped, making them go in other directions.
Then came part 2. The first activity was to lower the paper towel into one side of the tank, and to drop water onto the other side. The waves went over the sunken paper towel. Then, we took out the towel and put a stick of clay into the middle of the tank, and dropped water in. The waves bounced off the clay. We continued, with clay in a different position, then with two sticks of clay across the width of the tank (forming a barrier that the waves bounced off), and then with two and a half sticks across its length, with about 2 1/2 space in between. This made waves go everywhere, bouncing off clay, the sides of the tank, and each other. It was pretty cool!
Then, we repeated everything, with the Styrofoam ball floating in the water. This didn't make much of a difference, except that the ball bounced up and down when the waves hit it.
Then, we dropped water into the corner, and then the side, of the tank. The waves slightly bounced off the sides of the tank nearest to them. We repeated the steps but with two pipettes instead of one, and continued with our diagrams. The two waves overlapped, making them go in other directions.
Then came part 2. The first activity was to lower the paper towel into one side of the tank, and to drop water onto the other side. The waves went over the sunken paper towel. Then, we took out the towel and put a stick of clay into the middle of the tank, and dropped water in. The waves bounced off the clay. We continued, with clay in a different position, then with two sticks of clay across the width of the tank (forming a barrier that the waves bounced off), and then with two and a half sticks across its length, with about 2 1/2 space in between. This made waves go everywhere, bouncing off clay, the sides of the tank, and each other. It was pretty cool!
Then, we repeated everything, with the Styrofoam ball floating in the water. This didn't make much of a difference, except that the ball bounced up and down when the waves hit it.
