Name __________________________________________________
Page _________
Slinky Waves
Question: How does the movement of a slinky affect the type of wave?
Background:
A wave can be described as an energy disturbance that travels through a medium from one
location to another. Waves, simply put, are energy moving from one place to another. As the
wave moves through the medium (water, slinky, air), energy is being passed from one particle to
the next. Waves occur around us every day. Some common places we experience waves are in
sound, light, water, and earthquakes.
In addition to being a great toy, the Slinky is an excellent device for creating and studying waves.
A slinky can easily demonstrate the two basic types of waves, longitudinal and transverse. In a
longitudinal wave the particles move parallel to the direction the wave is moving (back and
forth). Sound is an example of a longitudinal wave.
In a transverse wave the particles move at right angles to the direction of wave travel (up and
down or side to side). Light is an example of a transverse wave.
Hypothesis: How does the movement of a slinky affect the type of wave?
If ________________________________________________________________________________,
then _____________________________________________________________________________.
Materials:
 Slinky

Table
Procedure:
Slinky Rules!!! If you twist or tangle your slinky, you will be responsible for buying a new one
to replace the damaged one. Please immediately bring any twisted slinky to your teacher to see
if it can be repaired.
Longitudinal Wave Procedure:
1. Stretch the slinky across the top of your lab table in the longest direction. (You may use the
floor if space is tight.)
2. Send waves down the slinky by pulling back and pushing forward on the slinky with
normal force.
3. Send waves down the slinky again but with more force.
Data:
Trials
Normal Force
More Force
Observation and Drawing. Label compressions and rarefactions. Use arrows to
label direction of force (disturbance or vibrations) and label direction of wave
motion.
Transversal Wave Procedure:
1. Stretch the slinky across the top of your lab table in the longest direction. (You may use the
floor if space is tight.)
2. Send waves down the slinky by moving the slinky side to side with normal force.
3. Send waves down the slinky again but with more force.
Data:
Trials
Observation and Drawing. Label crest, trough, wavelength, and amplitude. Use
arrows to label direction of force (disturbance or vibrations) and label direction
of wave.
Normal Force
More Force
Analysis:
1. What is the source of energy that created the waves in your lab today? Explain.
2. Once the energy enters the slinky at your hand, where does the energy go? Explain.
3. How did adding more force affect the longitudinal wave? The transverse wave? Be sure to use
vocabulary such as compression, rarefaction, amplitude, wavelength in your explanation.
Longitudinal:
Transverse:
Conclusion:
4. What is a wave?
5. Explain the difference between a longitudinal and a transverse wave. Be sure to discuss the movement
of the particles and the wave.
Longitudinal:
Transverse:
6. When people “do the wave” at a football stadium, do you think that is a wave or not? Explain.