Led by Mark Schober
This workshop is based around a low-cost wave-driver and amplifier driven by a free smartphone app for investigating wave propagation in strings. Similarly capable equipment from science suppliers ranges from $500-$1000 per lab setup, while ours costs just $30. We will begin by using the wave driver to examine properties of standing waves on strings, followed by a lab to quantitatively investigate how string tension and string mass per unit length affect the wave speed. In this workshop you will then have the opportunity to build your own wave drivers to use with your students. Not only does this set of labs establish the fundamental properties of mechanical waves, it provides an excellent experimental environment for students to collect and analyze data for a phenomenon that depends upon multiple variables.