Labs for Waves and Sound
Lesson Plans || Learning Outcomes and Activities || Teacher Notes || Labs
We have a collection of ~150 labs in the Laboratory section of the website. Each lab was intended to be used with a lab notebook where students report their data and findings and state their conclusion with supporting evidence and reasoning. The intent was to provide a relatively clear purpose (or question) to students that they would need to address AND to limit the amount of directions. The hope is that the purposes and students' ability to design a procedure would drive the lab activity (in contrast to a detailed set of step-by-step procedures being the driving force of students' activity). As such, each of our labs comes with a Question and Purpose and a short paragraph describing what should be included in students' lab report. On occassion, students are also provided a graphic organizer, data table, or other item to be taped into their notebook. The following pages may be useful for those teachers who wish to adopt or simply trial our Labs with a Purpose approach:
Our Thoughts on the Approach || About Lab Notebooks || Teacher Guides for All Labs
Lab 1: A Wiggle in Time
Question:
How would you describe (verbally, graphically and mathematically) the motion of a mass on the end of a spring?
Purpose:
To describe (verbally, graphically and mathematically) the motion of a mass on the end of a spring.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion/Discussion . The Data section should include a plot of position versus time and a plot of velocity vs. time (use provided graphs). The Conclusion/Discussion should include a verbal description of the mass's motion, a description of the manner in which the position and the speed of the mass change with respect to time; this description should rely on the language of mathematics.
URL (revised): Particle Wave Simulation
View: Teacher's Guide || Data Table
Lab 2 - A Wiggle in Time and Space
Question:
How is simple harmonic motion (e.g., mass on a spring) related to wave motion?
Purpose:
To compare simple harmonic motion and wave motion, identifying ways in which they are similar and different.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion/Discussion. The Data section should include observations of the wave motion appearing in the animation; these observations could include a well-labeled diagram with notes describing what is observed or it could include a collection of bullet-points describing primary characteristics of wave motion. The Conclusion/Discussion should include a well-written paragraph which responds to the purpose of the lab.
URL (revised): Particle Wave Simulation
View: Teacher's Guide
Lab 3 - Speed of a Wave
Question:
What types of variables effect the speed of a wave on a string?
Purpose:
To identify the variables which do and do not alter the speed of a wave on a string.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, a Conclusion and a Discussion of Results. The Data section should include the provided Data table. The Data table should be completed and work should be shown for the indicated rows. The conclusion should state the variables which affect and do not affect the speed of a wave on a string. The Discussion of Results should provide a well-written paragraph in which specific trials are referenced in an effort to explain how the evidence logically leads to the conclusion which was drawn.
View: Teacher's Guide || Data Table
Lab 4: Speed of Sound
Question:
What is the speed of sound? (using distance-time data)
Purpose:
To determine the speed of sound using the time it takes to travel a certain distance.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, a Conclusion and a Discussion of Results. The Data section should record the results of several measurement trials in a well-organized table with column headings and units clearly shown. Speed values should be calculated and the work for one calculation should be shown. The average speed value should be determined; non-representative data should not be included in the averaging; this should be noted in the Data section. The Conclusion should respond to the question raised in the Purpose section (as always). The Discussion of Results should include an error analysis. The reliability of the data set should be discussed; comments should pertain to both accuracy and precision. Any trials not included in the average speed calculation should be discussed; the reason for their non-inclusion should be explained. The average speed value should be compared to the theoretical value; a percent error calculation should be made; work should be clearly shown.
View: Teacher's Guide
Lab 5: Natural Frequency and Standing Waves
Question:
What are the natural frequencies at which a lab pole vibrates at and how can these frequencies be related to the standing wave pattern established in the pole?
Purpose:
To determine the natural frequencies of a vibrating lab pole when held at the one-half (center) mark, the one-fourth mark, the one-sixth mark, the one-eighth mark and the one-tenth mark and to relate these frequencies to the standing wave pattern established in the pole.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, and a Conclusion/Discussion of Results. The Data section should include the provided table – completed and taped in. Once collected, the Data should be analyzed in an effort to find a pattern and a relationship between the resonant frequencies and the standing wave pattern. This analysis should be documented in the lab notebook. Cross-outs, wrong turns, scribble-overs and other signs of investigative efforts should be evident in your lab notebook. The Conclusion/Discussion should include a discussion of how the frequencies relate to the standing wave patterns.Supporting evidence from the data analysis (in Data section) should be explicitly referenced.
View: Teacher's Guide || Data Table
Lab 6: Closed-End Air Columns
Question:
What is the speed of sound? (closed end air column)
Purpose:
To determine the speed of sound using a closed end air column.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, a Conclusion and a Discussion of Results. The Data section should include collected data; data should be organized and labeled (a diagram may be more useful than a table). Calculations of speed should be organized, labeled and clearly shown. Fudge factor adjustments for end effect should be made; work should be shown and labeled.Class data should be included in the Data section. The Conclusion should respond to the question raised in the Purpose section (as always). The Discussion of Results should include an error analysis. The reliability of the results should be evaluated based upon the theoretical value for the speed of sound. A percent error calculation should be performed;labeled work should be shown.
View: Teacher's Guide
Lab 7: Open-End Air Columns
Question:
What is the speed of sound? (open end air column)
Purpose:
To determine the speed of sound using an open end air column.
A complete lab write-up includes a Title, a Purpose, a Data section, a Conclusion and a Discussion of Results. The Data section should include collected data; data should be organized and labeled (a diagram may be more useful than a table). Calculations of speed should be organized, labeled and clearly shown. Fudge factor adjustments for end effects (both ends) should be made; work should be shown and labeled.Class data should be included in the Data section. The Conclusion should respond to the question raised in the Purpose section (as always). The Discussion of Results should include an error analysis. The reliability of the results should be evaluated based upon the theoretical value for the speed of sound. A percent error calculation should be performed;work should be shown and labeled.
View: Teacher's Guide
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- Task Tracker Subscription (annual purchase)
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- The Solutions Guide
We publish a free curriculum with >200 ready-to-use Think Sheets for developing physics concepts. The Solutions Guide is a download containing the source documents, PDFs of source documents, and answers/solutions in MS Word and PDF format. An expanded license agreement is included with the purchase. (Cost: $25 download)
- Teacher Presentation Pack
This is a large collection of downloadable content packed with nearly 190 Microsoft PowerPoint slide decks, the corresponding Lesson Notes (as PDF and fully-modifiable MS Word format), about 170 animations (in .gif, .png, and .mp4 file formats), a countless number of ready-to-use images (including the original source documents that would allow for easy modification of those images), and a license that allows teachers to modify and use all the content with their classes on password-protected sites (such as course management systems). (Cost: $40 download)
- Question Bank
We distribute a Question Bank that includes more than 9300 questions neatly organized according to topic. The Question Bank is the perfect tool for busy teachers or new teachers. Even if you don't use the website with your classes, the Question Bank will assist you in quickly putting together quizzes, tests and other documents with high-quality questions that target student's conceptions of physics principles. And if you do use The Physics Classroom website, the Question Bank is the perfect complement to the materials found at the website. (Cost: $25 download)