Practical Physics: Using Ripple Tanks

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content provider: the Nuffield Curriculum Centre
written by the Nuffield Curriculum Centre

This is an educator's guideline for set-up and use of ripple tanks in introductory physics classrooms. Detailed information is provided on all the materials required to effectively implement ripple tank experiments, including sources for acquiring appropriate strobe equipment. Tips and suggestions are included for promoting the process of inquiry. Safety precautions are clearly spelled out.

SEE RELATED ITEMS on this page for a link to labs and experiments using ripple tanks, developed by the same authors.

This item is part of a much larger collection of physics/astronomy experiments, sponsored by the UK's Institute of Physics and funded by the Nuffield Curriculum Centre.

https://spark.iop.org/collections/mechanical-waves-and-superpositi...

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Oscillations & Waves - Wave Motion = Interference and Diffraction = Reflection and Refraction (Sound) = Transverse Pulses and Waves	- High School - Middle School	- Instructional Material = Instructor Guide/Manual

Appropriate Courses	Categories	Ratings
- Physical Science - Physics First - Conceptual Physics - Algebra-based Physics - AP Physics	- Laboratory - New teachers	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Intended User:: Educator
Format:: text/html
Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2006 The Nuffield Foundation
Additional information is available.
Keywords:: activities, experiment, hands-on, mechanical waves, practical physics, ripple tank, strobe tank, transverse waves, wave diffraction, wave experiments, wave interference, wave reflection, waves
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created March 20, 2009 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: August 16, 2020 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: October 17, 2007

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This resource is part of a Physics Front Topical Unit.

Topic: Wave Energy
Unit Title: How Waves Move and Interact: Reflection, Refraction, Interference

Students should whenever possible experiment for themselves using real equipment, rather than viewing only computer representations of ripple phenomena. This educators' guide gives detailed information about how to acquire, set up, and implement ripple tank experiments in the physical science or physics classroom. See related ripple tank activities developed by the same authors (below).

Link to Unit:

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<a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=8714">Nuffield Curriculum Centre. Practical Physics: Using Ripple Tanks. October 17, 2007.</a>

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Nuffield Curriculum Centre, (2006), WWW Document, (https://spark.iop.org/collections/mechanical-waves-and-superposition#using-ripple-tanks).

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Nuffield Curriculum Centre, Practical Physics: Using Ripple Tanks (2006), <https://spark.iop.org/collections/mechanical-waves-and-superposition#using-ripple-tanks>.

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Nuffield Curriculum Centre. (2007, October 17). Practical Physics: Using Ripple Tanks. Retrieved March 23, 2025, from https://spark.iop.org/collections/mechanical-waves-and-superposition#using-ripple-tanks

Chicago Format

Nuffield Curriculum Centre. Practical Physics: Using Ripple Tanks. October 17, 2007. https://spark.iop.org/collections/mechanical-waves-and-superposition#using-ripple-tanks (accessed 23 March 2025).

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Nuffield Curriculum Centre. Practical Physics: Using Ripple Tanks. 2006. 17 Oct. 2007. Nuffield Curriculum Centre. 23 Mar. 2025 <https://spark.iop.org/collections/mechanical-waves-and-superposition#using-ripple-tanks>.

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@misc{ Author = "Nuffield Curriculum Centre", Title = {Practical Physics: Using Ripple Tanks}, Volume = {2025}, Number = {23 March 2025}, Month = {October 17, 2007}, Year = {2006} }

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%Q Nuffield Curriculum Centre %T Practical Physics: Using Ripple Tanks %D October 17, 2007 %U https://spark.iop.org/collections/mechanical-waves-and-superposition#using-ripple-tanks %O text/html

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%0 Electronic Source %A Nuffield Curriculum Centre, %D October 17, 2007 %T Practical Physics: Using Ripple Tanks %V 2025 %N 23 March 2025 %8 October 17, 2007 %9 text/html %U https://spark.iop.org/collections/mechanical-waves-and-superposition#using-ripple-tanks

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