Activity 10.5 Let us observe to study how waves (disturbances) travel through a medium. Class 9

Activity 10.5 Let us observe to study how waves (disturbances) travel through a medium. Class 9

Activity 10.5 Let us observe

Aim: To study how waves (disturbances) travel through a medium using slinky.

Procudure: Take a slinky and put a mark on a turn of the slinky with the marker. Push and pull the slinky end multiple times in quick succession.

Observation: There are regions in slinky with closely spaced turns and spread out turns which appear to travel along the slinky. The mark does not travel along the slinky and the mark only oscillates about its position of rest parallel to the direction of disturbance. Each turn oscillates about its own position while disturbance travels from one end of the slinky to the other.

Conclusion: Waves transfer energy through a medium without transferring matter. In a slinky, particles only oscillate about their mean position while the disturbance travels. This show s the basic nature of sound waves in a medium.