Abstract
In this work, an inexpensive 10-gallon glass aquarium was used to study wave motion in water. The waves travel at speeds comparable to a person walking (∼1 m/s). The scale of the motion allows for distances to be measured with a meterstick and for times to be measured with a stopwatch. For a wide range of water depths, standing waves were excited by hand using strips of Styrofoam. Several resonant modes were studied starting with the fundamental. Experimental values of wave speed were obtained from measurements of wavelength and period of oscillation. Theoretical values of wave speed were calculated using the surface gravity wave dispersion relation. The agreement between experiment and theory was usually better than 0.5%. The aquarium was a winner in the Apparatus Competition (Low Cost Category) during the AAPT 2006 Summer Meeting at Syracuse University.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
