Students gain insight and understanding behind the nature and characteristics of waves.
The relationship between frequency and period, as well as velocity, are explored. As a finale, students calculate the speed of sound with a simple variation of this experiment. Students generate waves on a piece of elastic string that is fixed at both ends. Using a Wave Function Generator and a Mechanical Vibrator, students slowly vary the frequency and view the resulting wave patterns. At integer multiples of this frequency, nodes will appear, and the string will be subdivided into smaller standing waves.