PHY 101 Lab

 Welcome and Introduction

 Call Roll
 Syllabus
 Miscellaneous Instructions
 Lab One Follows
 Two important concepts that physicists study
are
Wave Motion
Particle Motion
 This semester will begin with the study of
wave motion.
 Particle motion will be studied later in the
semester.
 the material or
substance that
 Your first experiment will show what happens
propagates a
disturbance
when two waves or wavethe same region of a
are occupying

medium at the same time.

 When this happens the waves interfere with each

other and the combined waves take on a new

shape.

 You will learn how to determine that shape.

 First let’s review the basic
parameters of a transverse wave.
 Transverse Wave

Crest
Wavelength

Amplitude

Baseline

Trough
 Next let’s look at the superposition
of some simple combinations of two
waves.
 A crest of one wave is
positioned with the
 The first addition of waves that will
crest of the other
wave. The same can be
be described involves two waves
said for troughs. that
are in phase.

 This is referred to as

constructive interference.
This represents the displacement
by the white wave alone.
This represents the displacement
by the orange wave alone.
Since they are both displacements
on the same side of the baseline,
they add together.
Just repeat this step for several
points along the waves.
 A crest of one wave is
 The next addition of waves that will
positioned with a trough
of the other wave.

be described involves two waves that

are out of phase.

 This is referred to as

destructive interference.
This represents the displacement by the white wave alone.
This represents the displacement by the orange wave alone.
Since the two displacements are on opposite sides of the baseline,
the top one should be considered positive and the bottom one negative.
Just add the positive and negatives together like this.
Repeat this step for several points along the waves.
 Finally we observe two waves that are
partially in phase.

 A different method of adding the

waves will be demonstrated.
From the baseline measure to the “white” wave.
Continuing on with this
Then add this to the “orange” wave. See animation.
process gives
Note the white arrow would
be zero in length here. Zero white arrows added to
“orange” wave occur at these
So zero added to the other locations.
“orange” wave would give

By overlaying the constructive interference curve

from a previous slide you can tell that the curve of
this slide is not fully constructive interference.
Interference Animation
 For your experiment today you will be
given two waves that are interfering
with each other.
 You will construct the resultant
waveform by techniques similar to what
you have just seen in this presentation.
 There are also some calculations that
you must complete. Important equations
follow.
 The frequency of a wave is the number of
waves passing a stationary point per
second. It is sometimes expressed as so
many waves per second, so many cycles per
second, or so many oscillations per second.
 The period of a wave is the time required
for one vibration. It is also the time for a
wave to travel one wavelength.
 Period (T) and frequency (f) are inversely
related.
In symbolic form

or

T 1
f
For a wave, if the distance traveled is a
wavelength (l), then the time to travel
this distance is the period (T ).
Since the average speed is defined as a
distance divided by time then
 l 1
v  or v  l
T T
1
Remember that f
T
Therefore v f l
 Thus if the experimenter can measure two
of the three quantities v, l, and f, then the
third can be calculated.

 Please note that speed and velocity are two

different descriptors of motion. You will
learn more details about these descriptors
in the second half of this course. What is
important for you to understand at this
point is that the symbol v being used in
formulas throughout the manual and the
PowerPoint shows represents speed, not
velocity, although most of the time it also
will represent the magnitude of the
velocity.
 Calculation Reminders

10 -5
(1 
4 x 10 3 (10 5 )
10 )
5
 4 x 1 0 8

How to manipulate the Hertz (Hz) unit.

Just remember that one Hz is the same as
1/second (1/s).
Example: What is the speed of a wave of
frequency 500 Hz and wavelength
of 2 meters.

v  f l  ( 500 Hz ) ( 2 m )  ( 500/ s ) ( 2 m )
v  1000 m / s
 How to Manipulate Units
The example below illustrates that units in equations can
be manipulated just like numbers in equations. To
determine the frequency of a wave that has a speed of
720 m/s and a wavelength of 16 m, follow the calculations
below.
v  fλ
or
m m
v
f  
720 720  45 s
s
 s
λ 16 m 16 m
f  45 Hz

Just as 16 divided into 720 yields 45, m (meter) divided

into m (meter) yields 1. (Note that 1 Hz = 1/s.)
 Example Measurement

An example of adding waves will now

be done on an overhead projector or
blackboard.