Prac1:FindingTheSpeedofLightwithMarshmallowsandaMicrowaveOven
Aim
:
Todeterminethespeedoflightusingmarshmallowsandamicrowave
Results:
Distancebetweenhotspotsapproximately=6cm,wavelength=12cm=0.12m
(Hotspotsarethepointsofhighestenergy,oramplitude.Thusdistancebetween
hotspotsisthedistancebetweencrestsandtroughs,or /2.)
6
Frequencyofmicrowave=2450MHz(2450x10
Hz)
6
Velocity=FrequencyxWavelengthV=0.12x(2450x10
)
8 1
=2.94x10
ms
Discussion:
Theresultsoftheinvestigationrevealedthatmicrowavestravelat2.94x10m/s.However,the
8
actualspeedoflightisapproximately2.998x10
m/s.Theerrororinaccuracyofthisinvestigation
isthereforeapproximately2%,andismostlikelyduetohumanerrororthelackofadequate
measuringequipment.
Conclusion:
Thespeedoflightwassuccessfullydeterminedwith98%accuracyusingmarshmallowsanda
microwaveoven.
Prac2.1:AnalysingSoundWavesfromaTuningFork
Aim:
ToobserveandcollectsoundtracesfromatuningforkusingaCRO
Apparatus:
Atleasttwotuningforks(4)ofdifferentfrequencies.
CathodeRayOscilloscope(CRO)
Microphone
Theory:
ThetracesfromaCROcanprovideyouwithasnapshotofanumberofdifferentsound
waves.Thewavesaresmalltimegrabsofamuchlargertrainofsoundwaves.Theseshort
intervalgrabscanshowyousomeofthefeaturesofsoundwaves.
Method:
1) ConnectthemicrophonetotheinputoftheCROorthemicrophoneinputonthe
computer.
2) TuneandadjusttheCROsothatwhenasingletuningforkisbroughtneartothe
microphone,asinewaveisproduced.Observetheamplitudeasthetuningforkloses
vibrationalenergy.
3) Checkoutallofthetracesofalltuningforks(4).Notefrequencies.
4) Trytwotuningforksatthesametime.Thetracewavebecomesmorecomplex.
Results:
(GraphsOnTheNextPage)
Discussion:
WhenusingtheCRO,itwasdifficulttocaptureasinewaveofthesoundbeingproducedbythe
tuningfork,hencemakingitdifficulttocalculatethefrequenciesandwavelengths.Sometimes,
thewaveappearedasablurorfuzz,andatothertimesthewavelengthwasofthescreen.Thus
theaccuracyofthegraphswouldhavebeenreduced.
Conclusion:
SoundwavesweresuccessfullycollectedandobservedusingtuningforksandaCathodeRay
Oscilloscope.
Prac2.2:ObservingWaveInterference
Aim:
Tohearsoundwavesinterferingwitheachother.
Apparatus:
Tuningfork
Theory:
Eachofthevibratingtuningforkprongsactsasacoherentsourceofsoundbecauseit
hasthesamefrequency,amplitudeandphaseinrelationtotheotherwhenproducingasound
waveinair.Hence,twosoundwavesaregenerated,eachoneradiatingfromaslightlydifferent
position.Thesoundwavespropagateoutwardfromeachprong,butonsomepathstheyoverlap
causing
constructive
or
destructive
interference.Thisisduetoeithertherebeingafull
wavelengthdifferenceinthetravelpathlengthorthewavesmeetatapointonehalfwavelength
outofphase(compressionsmeetrarefactions).Whenthisoccurs,thewaveswillcombineand
theiramplitudesareaddedtogether.Iftheamplitudesareequalbutaredisplacedinopposite
directions(ie.whenacompressionmeetsararefaction)theresultantwaveisasoundwavewith
littleornoamplitude,thisiscalleda
soundminimum
.Theoppositeoccurswhentwo
compressionsorrarefactionsmeet,andproducea
soundmaximum
.
Method:
1) Strikethetuningforksothatitisproducinganote.
2) Holdthetuningforkverticaltoyourearandrotatethetuningforkaboutitshorizontal
axis.
3) Notethesoundwavesappeartoincreasethendecreaseinamplitude.
Discussion:
Whenthetuningforkwasrotated,theamplitude(volume)appearedtoincreaseanddecrease.
Thisisduetothewavesproducedbytheprongsinterfering,orsuperimposing,witheachother.
Whenbothprongsfacedtheearitappearslouder,sincethewaveswereonlyslightly
o
constructivelyinterferingwitheachother.Howeveroncethetuningforkwasrotated90
,the
soundbecamesofterasthewavesweredestructivelyinterferingwithoneanother.
Conclusion:
Soundwavesweresuccessfullyheardinterferingwitheachother.
Prac2.3:AnalysingSoundWavesfromMusicalInstruments
Aim:
ToobservethesoundwavesfrommusicalinstrumentsonaCRO
Apparatus:
CRO
Microphone
Varietyofinstruments(Tuningfork,FluteandGuitar)
Theory:
Thenotesproducedbyamusicalinstrumenthaveacharacteristictimbre.An
examinationoftheCROtracesofthesamenoteplayedbyanumberofdifferentmusical
instrumentswillhighlightthedifferencesinthenatureofthesoundwaves.
Method:
1) ConnectthemicrophonetotheCRO.
2) TuneandadjusttheCROsothatwhenatuningforkisbroughtneartothemicrophone,
asinewavetraceisproduced.
3) Usingavarietyofinstruments,playthesamenoteandobservethedifferentlyshaped
wavepatterns.
Results:
Analysis:
Eachofthesoundwavesproducedhaveverysimilarfrequencies,butallofthewaveformswere
completelydifferent.Sincenoinstrumentsthatwereusedarefromthesameinstrumentgroup,
itcanbeassumedthatinstrumentsfromthesamegroup(string,bass,percussionand
woodwind)willhavesimilarwaveform,orinstrumentsthatproducesoundinasimilarwaywill
havecloselyrelatedwaveforms.
Conclusion:
Soundwavesproducedbyavarietyofmusicalinstrumentsweresuccessfullyobservedwitha
CRO.
Prac3.1:InvestigatingtheInverseSquareLaw
Aim:
Touseadataloggerorlightmetertoinvestigatetherelationshipbetweenlightintensity
anddistancefromthelightsource.
Apparatus:
Lightglobe
Aroomabletobeblackedout.
Tapemeasure
Lightmeter/Lightmeteringprobefordatalogger.
Theory:
Therelationship I 1/d 2
isanexampleoftheinversesquarelaw.Thisrelationshipwillbe
encounteredanumberoftimesthroughoutthePhysicsCourse.Youmayuseadataloggerorlight
metertoconfirmtherelationship I 1/d 2
Method:
1) Setupthelightglobeinthecentreofadarkroom.
2) Pointyourlightintensityprobedirectlyatthelightglobe,closetotheglobe
(approximately0.01m).Recordthelightintensityorsetyourdataloggertoinitiate
recordingreadings.
3) Recordreadingsat0.01m,1m,2m,3mand4mdistancesfromthelightsource.
2
4) Plotyourvaluesoflightintensityagainstthe1/distance
.Thiswillgiveyouagraphof
lightintensityversustheinverseofthesquareofthedistancefromthelightglobe.
Results:
Distance(m)
2
1/Distance
(m)
Intensity(LUX)
0.01
10000
770
43
1/4
15.5
1/9
11.8
1/16
8.5
Discussion:
Theanalysisconfirmedtherelationshipof I 1/d 2
.However,thereweresomefaultsinthe
experiment,becausewedidntuseaccurateinstrumentstomeasurehowfarawaythelightprobe
wasfromthelightsource.also,theexperimentwasntrepeated,renderingtheresultsunreliable.
Conclusion:
Therelationshipbetweenlightintensityanddistancefromthelightsourcewasinvestigated
usingadataloggerandalightmeterprobe,howevertheresultscouldhavebeenimprovedby
repeatingtheexperimentandmoreaccuratelymeasuringthedistancefromthelightintensity
probetothelightsource.
