Topics: Wave Mechanics
Equipment: Various Wave Models (short, long, narrow, varied, large), and two wooden sticks.
Setup: The rods get lifted up, and a small hook on a bungee cord prevents them from falling back down.
Use a hand or the wooden sticks to strike the model, in any desired fashion. Single strikes result in a pulse, harder strikes result in greater amplitudes, and shaking the rods in an oscillatory fashion results in a transverse wave effect, with multiple peaks and troughs.
The wave generator illustrates wave motion using a series of steel rods joined by a thin torsion wire. The torsion wire transmits energy from one rod to the next. The high moment of inertia of each rod ensures the wave takes several seconds to traverse the entire series of rods, making the dynamics easily visible. The motion is analogous to high-frequency waves that are invisible to the human eye, such as electromagnetic waves on a transmission line. The wave generator could illustrate wave reflection, standing waves, resonance, partial reflection and impedance matching.
Location: Shelf
Notes:
Keywords: Wood, Rod, String, Frequency, Wavelength, Speed
