Skip to Content Go to sign in Skip to Primary Navigation Skip to Secondary Navigation Skip to Page Navigation Skip to Header Navigation Skip to Footer Navigation Read more about accessability options and our navigation

Physics Classroom is making strides to make our site accessible to everyone. Our site contains 6 navigation areas. The Primary, Secondary, and Page Level navigations have a screen reader version of their nav structure that allows using the left and right keys to navigate sibling navigation items, and up or down keys to navigate parent or child navigation items. The others can be navigated using tabs. The Primary Navigation handles the first 2 levels of site pages. The Secondary (which is not always available) handles the 3rd and 4th level of structure. The Page level navigation allows you to navigate the current page's headings quickly. The Header Navigation contains the Light/Dark Mode toggle, Search, Notifications and account login. The Breadcrumb Navigation contains the breadcrumb of the current page. If the current page has a breadcrumb, you can get to it by skipping to the content and tabbing in reverse (shift plus tab). The Footer Navigation contains links such as Privacy, Contact, about and terms. Some resources contain an Audio Player that can be activated by holding down the T key for 3 seconds, and then using K to pause and resume. While not every area of Physics Classroom is usable purely from keyboard and screen reader, we are committed to continue work on making this possible. If you have questions or need additional help, please use this link to contact us.

Return to screen reader navigation
Home Interactives Sounds Waves

Interactive - Sounds Waves

Explore the nature of a wave and the relationship between waves and sound with the Simple Wave Simulator.

Activities

Audio Analyzer

Grab your tuning forks and get ready to dig into the Audio Analyzer. This interactive uses any microphone device on your computer, phone, or tablet to capture and display the sound produced, with an estimated pascal pressure and time readout anywhere along the sound wave.

Audio Analyzer
Beat Patterns

If you have ever tried to tune an instrument, you likely used the phenomenon of beats. Or if you've observed the orchestra attempting to tune their instruments to one another, you likely observed them utilizing beats. Just exactly what is the concept of beats? And what physics is involved in beats? In this Interactive, you will use two virtual tuning forks to explore the answers to these questions. Give them a tap, set them into vibrations, and observe the result.

Beat Patterns
Data Transmission

How do devices use waves to transmit and receive information? Use our Data Transmission simulation to experiment with data transmission. Grab two devices, open the simulation on each decice, and start communicating with one another. Shhhh! Transmitting and receiving allowed; talking prohibited.

Data Transmission
Two Point Source Interference Patterns

Grab a ripple tank and disturb the water at a periodic rate in two locations. What do you get? A two-point source interference pattern. Don't have a ripple tank? Then use ours. Explore the patterns that results when waves from two source interfere. Easily change the wavelength or the distance between sources and repeat a trial.

Two Point Source Interference Patterns

Now with Concept Checkers

Ripple Tank Simulator

We know. That pesky ripple tank apparatus is a pain to set up. If all you wish to demonstrate is the concept of two-point source interference, here's a painless alternative - the Ripple Tank Simulator. Let the sources begin vibrating and view the pattern. Can you see the nodal and antinodal lines/ Now tap on one of the lines and let the simulator make measurements of the distance to the course and calculate the path difference (difference in the two source-to-point distances). Can you find a pattern?

Ripple Tank Simulator
Sound Spectrum Viewer

The Sound Spectrum Viewer was created to be used as an accompaniment to our Data Transmission Interactive (above). It will capture a sound sound from any source and graphically display the sound's spectrum over the course of time. The tool will display a spectrogram and a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of the collected sound.

Sound Spectrum Viewer