Finding Patterns in Waves - Kimberly Davis | Library

Mr. Anderson explains the fundamentals of waves in the video below.

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Thinking about waves, like sound waves of your voice, how do you think the frequency (pitch) of your voice will affect the wavelength of the sound waves -- that is, the spacing between the bunched up air created by your vocal cords?

Use the image below to set up the the simulation embedded further below:

The video below explains how to measure wavelength and wave speed in PhET.

Now try different frequencies and measure the wavelengths and wave speeds. If you have trouble with the embedded simulation below you can open it as it's own webpage here.

Collect your data how frequency affects wave velocity in the Desmos file below. If you have trouble with the embedded Desmos you can open it as it's own webpage here.

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What mathematical model most closely matches your best-fit line

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What does this mean about how frequency affects wave velocity?

Collect your data how frequency affects wavelength (space between crests see image below) in the Desmos file below. If you have trouble with the embedded Desmos you can open it as it's own webpage here.

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What mathematical model most closely matches your best-fit line

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What does this mean about how frequency affects wavelength?

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Let's walk the triangle of representations of this phenomenon shown in the image below. First, starting with the model wavelength = 3.8 / frequency and noticing the constant is the wave velocity, resulting in the general mathematical model that wavelength = wave velocity/frequency. Then moving to graph and screenshots of the different frequency waves traveling for 1 second. Now let's see if we can make sense of all this, try explaining why this general model makes sense: wavelength = wave velocity/frequency.

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Writing Practice: Write just the Mathematical Model with Reasoning section of our conclusion.
State the mathematical model in its specific form with a numerical constant (A-value).
Explain what the constant (A-value) represents about the system in the real world
Explain how the relationship (pattern) makes sense for the observations of the real world
Restate the mathematical model in its general form using all words