A vibrator in a ripple tank vibrates with a frequency of 3.0 Hz and an amplitude of 2.5 cm. The resulting waves travel away from the source with a speed of 2.5 cm/s, passing under various markers floating on the water. (a)In what direction(s) do the marker move?
(b) With what frequency do the marker oscillate?
(c) If the frequency of the source is changed to 4.5 Hz, what will happen to: (i) the speed of the wave?
(ii) the frequency of the marker's oscillations?
(d) If the amplitude of the source is changed to 1.6 cm, what will happen to:
(i) the speed of the wave?
(ii) the frequency of the marker's oscillations?
Answers to this question
To answer these questions, we need to understand the properties of waves and how they relate to the given parameters. Let's break it down step by step:
(a) In what direction(s) do the markers move?
The markers on the water's surface move in the same direction as the waves, which is away from the source. This is because the vibrations from the vibrator create waves that propagate outward.
(b) With what frequency do the markers oscillate?
The frequency of the markers' oscillations is equal to the frequency of the vibration source, which is given as 3.0 Hz.
(c) If the frequency of the source is changed to 4.5 Hz, what will happen to:
(i) the speed of the wave?
The speed of the wave remains constant, as it is determined by the properties of the medium (the water in this case). So, changing the frequency of the source will not affect the speed of the wave.
(ii) the frequency of the marker's oscillations?
The frequency of the marker's oscillations will increase to match the new frequency of the source, which is 4.5 Hz. The markers will oscillate more times per second.
(d) If the amplitude of the source is changed to 1.6 cm, what will happen to:
(i) the speed of the wave?
The amplitude of the source does not affect the speed of the wave. The speed of the wave, as mentioned earlier, depends on the properties of the medium.
(ii) the frequency of the marker's oscillations?
The frequency of the marker's oscillations will remain the same. The frequency is determined solely by the source, so changing the amplitude does not alter the frequency.
Overall, the direction of marker movement is away from the source, the frequency of the marker's oscillations matches the frequency of the source, changing the frequency of the source does not affect the speed of the wave but alters the frequency of the marker's oscillations, and changing the amplitude of the source does not affect the frequency of the marker's oscillations but only affects the amplitude of the waves.