A ripple tank is a shallow glass-bottomed tank filled with water used to study wave behavior.
Construction:
A transparent tray filled with water.
A light source placed above to project wave patterns onto a screen below.
A motorized vibrator to generate waves.
Barriers and obstacles to study wave interactions.
Working:
When the vibrator moves, it creates ripples on the water surface. These ripples simulate wave motion in different conditions.
Wave Phenomena Studied Using Ripple Tank:
Reflection: When waves hit a solid barrier, they bounce back at the same angle.
Refraction: When waves move from deep to shallow water, their speed decreases, and their wavelength shortens.
Diffraction: When waves pass through a small gap, they spread out in circularĀ patterns.