Name __________________________________________________ Page _________
Wave Energy
Question: How does the motion of water in a container affect the location of a ping-pong in the
center of the water?
Background: Wave motion is a disturbance that moves from place to place in some medium, carrying
energy (not matter) with it. Probably the most familiar example of wave motion is the action of water
waves. A person floating on a raft is at rest on the ocean as the waves moves up and down as water
waves pass beneath it. The waves appear to be moving toward the shore, but the water particles that
make up the wave are actually moving in a circular direction. The person floating does not move
toward the shore or, if it does, it is at a much slower rate than that of the water waves themselves.
The energy carried by a water wave is obvious to anyone who has watched a wave hit the shore.
Even small waves have enough energy to move bits of sand, shells, and even people. Much larger
waves can, of course, tear apart the shore and wash away homes.
Hypothesis: How does the motion of water in a container affect the location of a ping-pong ball in
the center of the water?
If _____________________________________________________________________________________,
Then __________________________________________________________________________________.
Materials:
 plastic container
 ping-pong ball
 paper clip
 pieces of paper
Procedure:
1. Tap one end of the container and observe what happens to the wave.
2. Put a ping-pong ball in the middle of the water and observe what happens to the ping-pong
ball when you tap on the container.
3. Place a paperclip in the middle of the water (the paperclip should go to the bottom) and
observe what happens to the paperclip when you tap on the container.
4. Throw some of the pieces of paper into the water and observe what happens to the paper
when you tap on the container.
Data:
Object
Observations (Discuss direction of wave and energy, how the
water waves move, the locations of the ping-pong ball, paperclip,
and pieces of paper. Think about the motion of the waves and the
objects.
Just Water
Ping Pong Ball
Paperclip
Pieces of Paper
Analysis and Conclusions:
1. Describe the movement of the water molecules in the water while the wave is happening.
2. Explain how a wave can travel through a medium and yet the medium stays in place. Use the
term energy in your answer.
3. What force caused the water in the container to create a wave? What would happen if there was
less force? More force?
Caused the Force: _______________________________________________________________________
Less Force_______________________________________________________________________________
More Force _____________________________________________________________________________