Waves Activity

The purpose of this activity was to come up with a formula involving wavelength, wave speed and frequency. We determined a way to measure this values by placing the spring on the floor and giving it sinusoidal periodic motion.

We obtained some measured values of time, or period in this case, and the wavelength produced by the spring when oscillating. The following graph was constructed based on 4 trials:

 

Our graph was of wavelength versus time was not very linear as it should have been. Our sources of error in this experiment were friction on the spring produced by the floor and the condition of the spring.