Prac1:FindingTheSpeedofLightwithMarshmallowsandaMicrowaveOven

Aim
:
Todeterminethespeedoflightusingmarshmallowsandamicrowave

Results:

Distancebetweenhotspotsapproximately=6cm,wavelength=12cm=0.12m
(Hotspotsarethepointsofhighestenergy,oramplitude.Thusdistancebetween
hotspotsisthedistancebetweencrestsandtroughs,or /2.)
6
Frequencyofmicrowave=2450MHz(2450x10
Hz)
6
Velocity=FrequencyxWavelengthV=0.12x(2450x10
)
8 1
=2.94x10
ms

Discussion:

Theresultsoftheinvestigationrevealedthatmicrowavestravelat2.94x10m/s.However,the
8
actualspeedoflightisapproximately2.998x10
m/s.Theerrororinaccuracyofthisinvestigation
isthereforeapproximately2%,andismostlikelyduetohumanerrororthelackofadequate
measuringequipment.

Conclusion:

Thespeedoflightwassuccessfullydeterminedwith98%accuracyusingmarshmallowsanda
microwaveoven.

Prac2.1:AnalysingSoundWavesfromaTuningFork

Aim:
ToobserveandcollectsoundtracesfromatuningforkusingaCRO

Apparatus:

Atleasttwotuningforks(4)ofdifferentfrequencies.
CathodeRayOscilloscope(CRO)
Microphone

Theory:
ThetracesfromaCROcanprovideyouwithasnapshotofanumberofdifferentsound
waves.Thewavesaresmalltimegrabsofamuchlargertrainofsoundwaves.Theseshort
intervalgrabscanshowyousomeofthefeaturesofsoundwaves.

Method:
1) ConnectthemicrophonetotheinputoftheCROorthemicrophoneinputonthe
computer.
2) TuneandadjusttheCROsothatwhenasingletuningforkisbroughtneartothe
microphone,asinewaveisproduced.Observetheamplitudeasthetuningforkloses
vibrationalenergy.
3) Checkoutallofthetracesofalltuningforks(4).Notefrequencies.
4) Trytwotuningforksatthesametime.Thetracewavebecomesmorecomplex.

Results:
(GraphsOnTheNextPage)

Discussion:

WhenusingtheCRO,itwasdifficulttocaptureasinewaveofthesoundbeingproducedbythe
tuningfork,hencemakingitdifficulttocalculatethefrequenciesandwavelengths.Sometimes,
thewaveappearedasablurorfuzz,andatothertimesthewavelengthwasofthescreen.Thus
theaccuracyofthegraphswouldhavebeenreduced.

Conclusion:

SoundwavesweresuccessfullycollectedandobservedusingtuningforksandaCathodeRay
Oscilloscope.

Prac2.2:ObservingWaveInterference

Aim:
Tohearsoundwavesinterferingwitheachother.

Apparatus:

Tuningfork

Theory:
Eachofthevibratingtuningforkprongsactsasacoherentsourceofsoundbecauseit
hasthesamefrequency,amplitudeandphaseinrelationtotheotherwhenproducingasound
waveinair.Hence,twosoundwavesaregenerated,eachoneradiatingfromaslightlydifferent
position.Thesoundwavespropagateoutwardfromeachprong,butonsomepathstheyoverlap
causing
constructive
or
destructive
interference.Thisisduetoeithertherebeingafull
wavelengthdifferenceinthetravelpathlengthorthewavesmeetatapointonehalfwavelength
outofphase(compressionsmeetrarefactions).Whenthisoccurs,thewaveswillcombineand
theiramplitudesareaddedtogether.Iftheamplitudesareequalbutaredisplacedinopposite
directions(ie.whenacompressionmeetsararefaction)theresultantwaveisasoundwavewith
littleornoamplitude,thisiscalleda
soundminimum
.Theoppositeoccurswhentwo
compressionsorrarefactionsmeet,andproducea
soundmaximum
.

Method:
1) Strikethetuningforksothatitisproducinganote.
2) Holdthetuningforkverticaltoyourearandrotatethetuningforkaboutitshorizontal
axis.
3) Notethesoundwavesappeartoincreasethendecreaseinamplitude.

Discussion:

Whenthetuningforkwasrotated,theamplitude(volume)appearedtoincreaseanddecrease.
Thisisduetothewavesproducedbytheprongsinterfering,orsuperimposing,witheachother.
Whenbothprongsfacedtheearitappearslouder,sincethewaveswereonlyslightly
o
constructivelyinterferingwitheachother.Howeveroncethetuningforkwasrotated90
,the
soundbecamesofterasthewavesweredestructivelyinterferingwithoneanother.

Conclusion:

Soundwavesweresuccessfullyheardinterferingwitheachother.

Prac2.3:AnalysingSoundWavesfromMusicalInstruments

Aim:
ToobservethesoundwavesfrommusicalinstrumentsonaCRO

Apparatus:

CRO
Microphone
Varietyofinstruments(Tuningfork,FluteandGuitar)

Theory:
Thenotesproducedbyamusicalinstrumenthaveacharacteristictimbre.An
examinationoftheCROtracesofthesamenoteplayedbyanumberofdifferentmusical
instrumentswillhighlightthedifferencesinthenatureofthesoundwaves.

Method:

1) ConnectthemicrophonetotheCRO.
2) TuneandadjusttheCROsothatwhenatuningforkisbroughtneartothemicrophone,
asinewavetraceisproduced.
3) Usingavarietyofinstruments,playthesamenoteandobservethedifferentlyshaped
wavepatterns.

Results:


Analysis:

Eachofthesoundwavesproducedhaveverysimilarfrequencies,butallofthewaveformswere
completelydifferent.Sincenoinstrumentsthatwereusedarefromthesameinstrumentgroup,
itcanbeassumedthatinstrumentsfromthesamegroup(string,bass,percussionand
woodwind)willhavesimilarwaveform,orinstrumentsthatproducesoundinasimilarwaywill
havecloselyrelatedwaveforms.

Conclusion:

Soundwavesproducedbyavarietyofmusicalinstrumentsweresuccessfullyobservedwitha
CRO.

Prac3.1:InvestigatingtheInverseSquareLaw

Aim:
Touseadataloggerorlightmetertoinvestigatetherelationshipbetweenlightintensity
anddistancefromthelightsource.

Apparatus:

Lightglobe
Aroomabletobeblackedout.
Tapemeasure
Lightmeter/Lightmeteringprobefordatalogger.

Theory:

Therelationship I 1/d 2

isanexampleoftheinversesquarelaw.Thisrelationshipwillbe
encounteredanumberoftimesthroughoutthePhysicsCourse.Youmayuseadataloggerorlight
metertoconfirmtherelationship I 1/d 2

Method:
1) Setupthelightglobeinthecentreofadarkroom.
2) Pointyourlightintensityprobedirectlyatthelightglobe,closetotheglobe
(approximately0.01m).Recordthelightintensityorsetyourdataloggertoinitiate
recordingreadings.
3) Recordreadingsat0.01m,1m,2m,3mand4mdistancesfromthelightsource.
2
4) Plotyourvaluesoflightintensityagainstthe1/distance
.Thiswillgiveyouagraphof
lightintensityversustheinverseofthesquareofthedistancefromthelightglobe.

Results:

Distance(m)

2
1/Distance
(m)

Intensity(LUX)

0.01

10000

770

43

1/4

15.5

1/9

11.8

1/16

8.5

Discussion:

Theanalysisconfirmedtherelationshipof I 1/d 2

.However,thereweresomefaultsinthe
experiment,becausewedidntuseaccurateinstrumentstomeasurehowfarawaythelightprobe
wasfromthelightsource.also,theexperimentwasntrepeated,renderingtheresultsunreliable.

Conclusion:

Therelationshipbetweenlightintensityanddistancefromthelightsourcewasinvestigated
usingadataloggerandalightmeterprobe,howevertheresultscouldhavebeenimprovedby
repeatingtheexperimentandmoreaccuratelymeasuringthedistancefromthelightintensity
probetothelightsource.