SURFACE & SOUND WAVE INVESTIGATION
Question:
Is the surface the same wave as the sound wave?
Experimental Design and Methodology:
To test this, we dropped a ball into a tub of water and observed which occurred or arrived first - sound or the surface wave. What we were really investigating was are there more waves than the observed surface wave.
Since the second ball wiggles when the surface waves hit it, and a stethoscope picks up sound, this simple test explores the possibility that the surface wave and the sound wave may be similar, but are they the same wave? If they are, they should arrive at the stethoscope at the same time. If they are not, then they should arrive at different times.
Is the surface the same wave as the sound wave?
Experimental Design and Methodology:
To test this, we dropped a ball into a tub of water and observed which occurred or arrived first - sound or the surface wave. What we were really investigating was are there more waves than the observed surface wave.
Since the second ball wiggles when the surface waves hit it, and a stethoscope picks up sound, this simple test explores the possibility that the surface wave and the sound wave may be similar, but are they the same wave? If they are, they should arrive at the stethoscope at the same time. If they are not, then they should arrive at different times.
Results:
What we found was that we heard sound first before the second ball wiggled from the surface waves. This means that the surface wave is NOT sound.
(This has a great implication when it comes to seismic waves generated by an earthquake. S (shear) waves and P (compressional) waves travel through the ground and Surface waves travel on the top and are much slower in their travels.)
What we found was that we heard sound first before the second ball wiggled from the surface waves. This means that the surface wave is NOT sound.
(This has a great implication when it comes to seismic waves generated by an earthquake. S (shear) waves and P (compressional) waves travel through the ground and Surface waves travel on the top and are much slower in their travels.)