Waves, Sound and Light: Wave Basics
Wave Basics: Audio Guided Solution
Problem 9:
Logan, Cassie and Abbey are doing the Pulse Speed Lab. Logan and Cassie stand 6.8 m apart and stretch a zinc-coiled snakey between them. Logan introduces a pulse into the snakey at his end. Using a stopwatch, Abbey measures that it takes 15.1 seconds for the pulse to travel to Cassie's end and back two times. They then repeat the experiment with a copper-coiled snakey stretched the same distance and find that pulses travel back and forth two times in 16.9 seconds.
a. Determine the speed of the pulse in the zinc-coiled snakey.
b. Determine the speed of the pulse in the copper-coiled snakey.
a. Determine the speed of the pulse in the zinc-coiled snakey.
b. Determine the speed of the pulse in the copper-coiled snakey.
- Read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
- Identify the known and unknown quantities and record in an organized manner, often times they can be recorded on the diagram itself. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity (e.g., v = 12.8 m/s, λ = 4.52 m, f = ???).
- Use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
- Identify the appropriate formula(s) to use.
- Perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.
Get more information on the topic of Waves at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.
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