Measuring the Speed: Water Waves (GCSE Physics)
Measuring the Speed: Water Waves
Measuring the Speed of Water Waves
For exams, you need to know how to measure the speed of ripples on the surface of water.
Method
- Gather all the equipment. For this experiment, you’ll need a tank, some water, a stopwatch and a ruler.
- Set up the equipment. Fill the tank with water. Measure the length of the tank and note it down.
- Create waves on the surface. By gently using the ruler, create some ripples on the surface of the water. The direction of the ripples should be from one end of the tank to the other, covering the distance that you measured.
- Time the waves. Once you have created the wave, start the stopwatch. Stop the stopwatch when the wave reaches the other end of the container. This is the time taken for the wave to cover the distance from one end of the container to the other.
- Calculate the speed. Using the formula speed = distance / time, we can calculate the speed of water waves on the surface. You should repeat the experiment at least 3 times and take an average of your readings.
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