Ripple Tank

Concept Overview

1. Visual demonstration of wave propagation
2. Visual demonstration of wave interference

Lecturer Procedure

Steps to Follow

1. Turn on the projector.
2. Turn the dial on the motor to the yellow tape.
3. Observe the pattern on the wall.

Expected Result 

Historical References; Taken from original work of Percy H. Carr, 1970 

“I have always found this outfit a bit difficult to get in both good optical adjustment and mechanical synchronization. Good results just before class do not insure good results in class. Cooling off during the waiting interval seems to affect the adjustment. There are good motion picture film loops and videos portraying the results obtained with just this kind of machine that are much easier to show, consume less time, and I think do the job almost as well.”
 

Peter Sawer reported in 1989 that he was also unable to obtain good results with this ripple tank.