Vibrations and Waves, cont.

B and C Blocks took time to review basic wave properties before looking at wave interactions. Interference and reflection were defined and examples were discussed to illustrate constructive/destructive interference and reflection from free/fixed boundaries. We then turned attention to standing waves and watched some standing waves form on a string to show (1) how difficult it is to get them to form and (2) the basic features of these peculiar waves. Make sure you can identify nodes/antinodes and calculate the wavelength of standing waves. B Block had time in class to walk through the chapter and get some lab experience tomorrow combining simple harmonic motion and wave formation for an oscillating spring. C Block will have the day as review so come armed with questions.

E Block worked on review for their vibrations and waves exam and will work on a mass-spring lab tomorrow - the same one E-Block worked on today. The lab allowed students to see the sine curve formed from simple harmonic motion, identify its features and analyze it mathematically. Students then either tested the influence of amplitude on the period of the motion or how damping affected the motion of the mass-spring system. We'll go over this lab tomorrow as part of the general exam review.