Demonstrations

Ripple Tank

Code Number :	3B50.20
Disclaimer:	Reprinted by permission of Dick Berg, University of Maryland, for use on this website. The demonstrations contained and referenced herein are listed for the purposes of cataloging and describing physics demonstrations which should be conducted only under the direction of a trained instructional support professional or physicist. These demonstrations are not presented for the purpose of being conducted by persons unconnected to this Facility and/or persons not consulting with or being supervised by the recognized instructional support professional or physicist and his/her staff. The University is responsible only for those demonstrations carried out using its own equipment using established safety and scheduling policies, and bears no responsibility for those choosing to use this source material for their own purposes. All demonstrations described and contained herein are public domain, and can also be found in reference materials in libraries, bookstores, and electronic sources. Further information regarding legal liability in use of demonstrations and labs will be found on the web site Injuries in School/College Laboratories in USA. The University of Iowa Disclaimers: University of Iowa Disclaimer All Rights Reserved..
Condition :	Good
Principle :	Wave Phenomenon
Area of Study :	Acoustics
Equipment :	Ripple Tank with Accessories, Power Supply (0 to 6 VDC), Food Coloring (if desired), Water,4 Video Tapes (Ripple Tank Demonstrations).
Procedure :	We never use the ripple tank in class because the videos are not only more visible but also faster and more accurately done.

References

"Images of Interference patterns on a water surface", http://physics.nad.ru/Physics/English/waves.htm

References

Judson Wagner, "Creating a Virtual Ripple Tank in Microsoft Word", TPT, Vol. 44, # 6, p. 376, Sept. 2006.

Correction: Paul Gluck, "Moving Sources: Doppler Beats and Mach Cones," TPT, Vol. 43, # 9, Dec. 2005, p. 567.

Paul Gluck, "Moving Sources: Doppler Beats and Mach Cones", TPT, Vol. 43, # 6, p. 371, Sept. 2005.

Thomas B. Greenslade Jr., "The Foley Acoustic Wave Front Slides", TPT, Vol. 42, # 4, April 2004, p. 231.

Thomas B. Greenslade Jr., "Demonstration of Beats with a Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 43, # 3, Mar. 2005, p. 185.

Sabina Zigman, Sheldon Wortzman, "A Ripple Tank for Gulliver", TPT, Vol. 37, # 1, Jan. 1999, p. 52.

Richard A. Secco, "Wave Interference Patterns Displayed on the Overhead Projector", TPT, Vol. 29, # 5, May 1991, p. 284.

James Hicks and Chris Chiaverina, "Catch the Wave, TPT, Vol. 28, # 3, p. 167, March 1990.

Thomas B. Greenslade Jr., "Standing Waves and Beats Displayed by Foam Packing," TPT, Vol. 26, # 6, p. 396, September 1988.

Gennaro Guercio, Vittorio Zanetti, "Waves on a Ripple-Tank Seen by a Photosensor", TPT, Vol. 23, # 7, Oct. 1985, p. 426 - 427.

Kenneth Atkins, "Speeds of Water Waves", TPT, Vol. 20, # 2, Feb. 1982, p. 114 - 115.

Thomas J. Senior, "A Cure for the Fickle Ripple-Tank Motor", TPT, Vol. 20, #1, Jan. 1982, p. 52.

S. D. Schery, "A Marine Science Application for the Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 18, # 5, May 1980, p. 374.

Julius Sumner Miller, "Exercise for the Reader", TPT, Vol. 18, # 6, Sept. 1980, p. 406.

Bradford L. Wright, "Exciting Pools", TPT, Vol. 13, # 5, May 1975, p. 275.

Poul Thomsen, "Wave-Generator with Synchronous Stroboscope" TPT, Vol. 40, # 2, p. 124, Feb. 2002, reprinted from TPT, Vol. 11, # 2, p. 113, Feb. 1973.

Synchronous Stroboscope," TPT, Vol. 11, # 2, p. 113, Feb. 1973.

J. Kirk Dickie," Thermal Differentiation in a Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 11, # 1, Jan. 1973, p. 39.

Brother James Mahoney, "Where's the Energy?", TPT, Vol. 11, # 6, Sept. 1973, p. 326.

Robert W. Smith, "Ripple Tank Projection with Improved Contrast", TPT, Vol. 10, # 9, Dec. 1972, p. 533.

Marvin Ohriner, "Parabolas in a Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 5, # 7, Oct. 1967, p. 339.

Jack L. Smith, "Demonstration of Beats with a Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 7, # 8, Nov. 1969, p. 456.

John Wessner, "An Alternative Approach to Two-Source Interference", TPT, Vol. 5, # 7, Oct. 1967, p. 336.

Lowell W. Knoop, "Ripple Tank "TV", TPT, Vol. 4, # 6, Sept. 1966, p. 281.

Tarun Kr. Barik, Anushree Roy, Sayan Kar, "A Simple Experiment on Diffraction of Light by Interfering Liquid Surface Waves", AJP, Vol. 73, # 8, Aug. 2005, p. 725.

Yu Hao, Xie Qi-cheng, and Li Zhen-di, "A Ripple Tank Demonstration of the Conditions for Interference of Waves", AJP, Vol. 56, # 8, Aug. 1988, p. 745.

Richard Greene, "Loudspeakers as Ripple Tank Wave Generators", AJP, Vol. 45, # 7, July 1977, p. 683.

Eugen Merzbacher, "Comment on "On the Negative-Energy Wave Functions for the Coulomb Field", AJP, Vol. 43, # 1, Jan. 1975, p. 101.

Sm - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: Freier and Anderson, A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.

Richard E. Berg, "Projection Ripple Tank."

Robert Ehrlich, "Standing Waves on the Surface of a Liquid-Part I," Turning the World Inside Out, p. 139-140.

Robert Ehrlich, "Standing Waves on the Surface of a Liquid-Part II," Turning the World Inside Out, p. 140-141.

Robert Ehrlich, "Standing Waves on the Surface of a Liquid-Part III," Turning the World Inside Out, p. 141.

Robert Ehrlich, "One-Dimensional Water Wave in a Narrow Trough," Turning the World Inside Out, p. 128-129.

Robert Ehrlich, "Ripple Tank," Turning the World Inside Out, p. 192-195.

Neil A. Downie, "Coffee-Cup Revolution Counter", Ink Sandwiches, Electric Worms and 37 Other Experiments for Saturday Science, p. 185.

T. D. Rossing, C. J. Chiaverina, "2.12, Water Waves", Light Science, Physics and Visual Arts, p. 38.

Michael Rosenwald, "Turning Waves Into Letters", Popular Science, p. 43, Nov. 2006.

Mail Questions and Comments to: Dale Stille