3B50.20 - Ripple Tank

Code Number:
3B50.20
Demo Title:
Ripple Tank
Condition:
Good
Principle:
Wave Phenomenon
Area of Study:
Acoustics

Disclaimer

Equipment:
Ripple Tank with Accessories, Power Supply (0 to 6 VDC), Food Coloring (if desired), Water, and 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:
  • Gisselle Dieguez, Jonathan Karpenkopf, Aaron Labrador, Ludmila Gimenez, Julian Guerra, Jack Fulton, Wojciech J. Walecki, "Wave Reflections in a Circular Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 59, #7, Oct. 2021, p. 556.
  • Fabrizio Logiurato, "New Experiments on Wave Physics with a Simply Modified Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 52, #4, Apr. 2014, p. 228.
  • Dave Van Domelen, "Wavetank in a Glass", TPT, Vol. 50, #1, Jan. 2012, p. 56.
  • Thomas B. Greenslade Jr., "Surface Bubbles in the Bathtub and Reflections on Ripple Tanks", TPT, Vol. 50, #1, Jan. 2012, p. 17.
  • Judson Wagner, "Creating a Virtual Ripple Tank in Microsoft Word", TPT, Vol. 44, #6, Sept. 2006, p. 376.
  • Jack L. Smith, "Demonstration of Beats with a Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 43, #3, Mar. 2005, p. 185.
  • Thomas B. Greenslade Jr., "The Foley Acoustic Wave Front Slides", TPT, Vol. 42, #4, Apr. 2004, p. 231.
  • Poul Thomsen and Thomas B. Greenslade Jr., "From Our Files: Wave-Generator with Synchronous Stroboscope", TPT, Vol. 40, #2, Feb. 2002, p. 124.
  • Sabina Zigman and 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, Mar. 1990, p. 167.
  • Gennaro Guercio and Vittorio Zanetti, "Waves on a Ripple-Tank Seen by a Photosensor", TPT, Vol. 23, #7, Oct. 1985, p. 426.
  • Kenneth Atkins, "Speeds of Water Waves", TPT, Vol. 20, #2, Feb. 1982, p. 114.
  • Thomas J. Senior, "A Cure for the Fickle Ripple-Tank Motor", TPT, Vol. 20, #1, Jan. 1982, p. 52.
  • William Warren, "Standing Waves on the Overhead Projector", TPT, Vol. 18, #9, Dec. 1980, p. 674, also A Potpourri of Physics Teaching Ideas - Optics and Waves, p. 207.
  • Julius Sumner Miller, "Exercise for the Reader", TPT, Vol. 18, #6, Sept. 1980, p. 406.
  • S. D. Schery, "A Marine Science Application for the Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 18, #5, May 1980, p. 374.
  • Bradford L. Wright, "Exciting Pools", TPT, Vol. 13, #5, May 1975, p. 275.
  • Haym Kruglak, "Electric scissors as a wave generator", AJP, Vol. 43, #2, Feb. 1975, p. 195.
  • Brother James Mahoney, "Where's the Energy?", TPT, Vol. 11, #6, Sept. 1973, p. 326.
  • Poul Thomsen, "Wave-Generator with Synchronous Stroboscope", TPT, Vol. 11, #2, Feb. 1973, p. 113.
  • J. Kirk Dickie,"Thermal Differentiation in a Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 11, #1, Jan. 1973, p. 39.
  • Robert W. Smith, "Ripple Tank Projection with Improved Contrast", TPT, Vol. 10, #9, Dec. 1972, p. 533.
  • Fr. Earl R. Meyer, "Recording Timer Tape for Interference Demonstrations", TPT, Vol. 10, #6, Sept. 1972, p. 334, also A Potpourri of Physics Teaching Ideas - Optics and Waves, p. 202.
  • Jack L. Smith, "Demonstration of Beats with a Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 7, #8, Nov. 1969, p. 456.
  • Marvin Ohriner and Herbert H. Gottlieb, "Apparatus for Teaching Physics: Parabolas in a Ripple Tank", TPT, Vol. 5, #7, Oct. 1967, p. 339.
  • 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.
  • Bernhard Ströbel, "Demonstrations and Study of the Dispersion of Water Waves with a Computer-Controlled Ripple Tank", AJP, Vol. 79, #6, June 2011, p. 581.
  • Tarun Kr. Barik, Anushree Roy, and 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.
  • Goro Kuwabara, Toshihiro Hasegawa, and Kimitoshi Kono, "Water Waves in a Ripple Tank", AJP, Vol. 54, #11, Nov. 1986, p. 1002.
  • T. S. Stein and L. G. Dishman, "Demonstrations of Beats as Moving Interference Patterns", AJP, Vol. 50, #2, Feb. 1982, p. 136.
  • A. Delunas and G. Pegna, "Very Flexible Ripple Tank Apparatus", AJP, Vol. 49, #11, Nov. 1981, p. 1079.
  • Richard Greene, "Loudspeakers as Ripple Tank Wave Generators", AJP, Vol. 45, #7, July 1977, p. 683.
  • L. G. Hoxton, "Interference Pattern of Beats", AJP, Vol. 31, #10, Oct. 1963, p. 794.
  • Charles Day, "Internal Waves in the South China Sea", Physics Today, Vol. 68, #7, July 2015, p. 16.
  • Chris Garett and Johannes Gemmrich, "Rogue Waves", Physics Today, Vol. 62, #6, June 2009, p. 62.
  • Michael Rosenwald, "Turning Waves Into Letters", Popular Science, Vol. 278, #11, Nov. 2006, p. 43.
  • G. D. Freier and F. J. Anderson, "Sm-5", A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.
  • G. D. Freier and F. J. Anderson, "Sm-4", A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.
  • G. D. Freier and F. J. Anderson, "Sm-3", A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.
  • G. D. Freier and F. J. Anderson, "Sm-2", A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.
  • G. D. Freier and F. J. Anderson, "Sm-1", A Demonstration Handbook for Physics.
  • R. W. Pohl, Physical Principles of Mechanics and Acoustics, p. 272.
  • Jearl Walker, "3.19. Acoustic Shadows", The Flying Circus of Physics Ed. 2, p. 153.
  • Jearl Walker, "3.18. Long-Distance Sound", The Flying Circus of Physics Ed. 2, p. 153.
  • Jearl Walker, "2.132. Wave Reflection by Sandbars", The Flying Circus of Physics Ed. 2, p. 138.
  • Jearl Walker, "2.66. Waves Pass Through a Narrow Opening", The Flying Circus of Physics Ed. 2, p. 108.
  • Jearl Walker, "2.65. Waves Turning to Approach a Beach", The Flying Circus of Physics Ed. 2, p. 108.
  • Richard E. Berg, "Projection Ripple Tank", The Physics of Sound, ISBN 978-0-13145-789-8.
  • Robert Ehrlich, "Q.3. Ripple Tank", Turning the World Inside Out and 174 Other Simple Physics Demonstrations, p. 192 - 195.
  • Robert Ehrlich, "J.16. Standing Waves on the Surface of a Liquid-Part III", Turning the World Inside Out and 174 Other Simple Physics Demonstrations, p. 141.
  • Robert Ehrlich, "J.15. Standing Waves on the Surface of a Liquid-Part II", Turning the World Inside Out and 174 Other Simple Physics Demonstrations, p. 140 - 141.
  • Robert Ehrlich, "J.14. Standing Waves on the Surface of a Liquid-Part I", Turning the World Inside Out and 174 Other Simple Physics Demonstrations, p. 139 - 140.
  • Robert Ehrlich, "J.3. One-Dimensional Water Wave in a Narrow Trough", Turning the World Inside Out and 174 Other Simple Physics Demonstrations, p. 128 - 129.
  • Neil A. Downie, "Coffee-Cup Revolution Counter",  Ink Sandwiches, Electric Worms and 37 Other Experiments for Saturday Science, p. 185.
  • T. D. Rossing and C. J. Chiaverina, "2.12. Water Waves", Light Science, Physics and Visual Arts, p. 38.
  • W. Bolton, "22. The Two-Dimensional Diffraction of Water Waves", Book 2 - Waves and Particles, Physics Experiments and Projects, 1968, p. 35 - 36.
  • W. Bolton, "20. The Diffraction of Water Waves With Multiple Slits", Book 2 - Waves and Particles, Physics Experiments and Projects, 1968, p. 31 - 32.
  • W. Bolton, "4. Standing Water Waves", Book 2 - Waves and Particles, Physics Experiments and Projects, 1968, p. 7.
  • W. Bolton, "3. Diffraction of Water Waves", Book 2 - Waves and Particles, Physics Experiments and Projects, 1968, p. 6.
  • W. Bolton, "2. Interference of Water Waves", Book 2 - Waves and Particles, Physics Experiments and Projects, 1968, p. 5.
  • W. Bolton, "9. Fluid Flow Past Objects", Book 1 - Properties of Materials, Physics Experiments and Projects, 1968, p. 16.
  • Julius Sumner Miller, Q70 & A70, Millergrams I – Some Enchanting Questions for Enquiring Minds, p. 46 & 101.
  • Julius Sumner Miller, Q99 & A99, Millergrams I – Some Enchanting Questions for Enquiring Minds, p. 63 & 112.
  • Julius Sumner Miller, Q150 & A150, Millergrams II – Some More Enchanting Questions for Enquiring Minds, p. 31 & 89.

Disclaimer: These demonstrations are provided only for illustrative use by persons affiliated with The University of Iowa and only under the direction of a trained instructor or physicist.  The University of Iowa is not responsible for demonstrations performed by those using their own equipment or who choose to use this reference material for their own purpose.  The demonstrations included here are within the public domain and can be found in materials contained in libraries, bookstores, and through electronic sources.  Performing all or any portion of any of these demonstrations, with or without revisions not depicted here entails inherent risks.  These risks include, without limitation, bodily injury (and possibly death), including risks to health that may be temporary or permanent and that may exacerbate a pre-existing medical condition; and property loss or damage.  Anyone performing any part of these demonstrations, even with revisions, knowingly and voluntarily assumes all risks associated with them.