If a section is highlighted, it needs your attention. Do not turn in your lab with anything highlighted!
Names
1. Wave Speed
2. Purpose-The purpose of this lab is…
Questions:
a. What affects the speed of a slinky wave?
b. What is the most accurate way to measure speed of a wave? (Observation, distance/time, or the wave
speed equation)
c. What is the percent difference for measuring wave speed according to equations (v = d/t vs v = f • )
3. Hypothesis (predictions)
a. I predict that…
b. I predict that…
c. I predict that…
4. Materials: use bullet points
5. Background: Write anything here that someone would need to know to understand your lab (definitions, etc)
6. Procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
7. Data Table-Complete the data tables-the data below is just sample data.
Trial
Tension Frequency
of
of wave
Slinky (Hz)
(N)
1
2
3
4
5
6
2
2
4
4
6
6
Period of
wave (s)
Wavelength
(m)
3
6
3
6
3
6
Wave
Speed (m/s)
according to
observation
Wave speed
(m/s)
according to
the formula
v=f•
Wave
Speed
(m/s)
accordin
g to
v=d÷t
Percent
difference
between the
two calculated
speeds (%)
Observations-Make your own observations about the slinky wave or experiment that agree or disagree with
your data or cannot be seen in the data.
6. Results (graph here) Click on insert, picture, and chart. Format the cells to reflect the above data. Make sure
that your graph makes sense and is presented appropriately in terms of the lab questions. Hint-You should make
a bar graph of the three speeds, an x-y scatter plot of tension and wave speed (pick the most accurate wave
speed-pr), an x-y scatter plot of frequency and wave speed, and an x-y scatter plot of wavelength or period and
wave speed. To get an A you should complete your lab on excel and include a trend line along with an r2 on
your x-y scatter plots.
7. Conclusion-FOLLOW THE RERUN FORMAT and address the questions. Go beyond the basics. When
you are finished, post your lab on your UNIT 5 webpage. Also, remember to post your conclusion on nicenet.
No paper needed!