Waves and Interference

Learning Goal 6.1: I understand how waves interact with each other and with boundaries.

This past week we learned about constructive and destructive interference, as well as standing waves. Worksheet 6.1 helped me strengthen my understanding of the two types of interference. With standing waves. we observed their harmonic wavelengths and also related them to the fundamental wave equation. We also looked at sound waves and tones, which I found a bit confusing.

1st Week of Unit 6

Learning Goal 6.1: I understand how waves interact with each other and with boundaries.

In our first week of Unit 6, we started looking into wave interactions. We learned how waves behave at boundaries as well how two waves interact with each other through using different slinkies. We looked at how the wave interactions differed when it was a longitudinal wave or a transverse wave. Later in the week, we learned about constructive and destructive interference. One concept I have some confusion with is how waves change when moving from one medium to another, but I think I'll better understand it after doing worksheet 6.1.

Wave Motion

Learning Goal 5.2:  I understand how energy is transformed within a system of particles, such as coupled oscillators, to form a wave. 

This past week we simulated wave motions and specifically transverse waves. We began by finding the speed of the wave through measuring how long it took for the wave to travel form one end of the machine to the other once. We then repeated that but tried it with a higher frequency, a lower frequency, and a change in amplitude. We found frequency and wavelength are inversely related. I've come to understand this over multiple class activities. The concept I still have some confusion about is amplitude. 

Friday's Activities

This past Friday, we did multiple activities involving sound, frequency, and resonance. Of the activities, I found the wine glass most interesting. It was cool to see how the frequency pitch changed depending on the type of glass. The prayer bowl was a bit more difficult, as it took many attempts before I could hear any sound. The tuning forks were also interesting, and it was cool to see how the sound changed when more forks were placed on the box. 

Start of the 2nd Semester

Some strategies that worked for me in the fall were using past tests/quizzes/worksheets to prepare for upcoming tests and reviewing the reading for the historical learning goals. I don't think there any strategies that I found ineffective, but rather could be improved. For this semester, I hope to continue and improve on what I did last semester, and meet with Byron more often if I have any misunderstandings or confusion. 

Newton's 3rd Law and Interaction Diagrams

Learning Goal 4.2- I can analyze motion within the framework of Newton's 3 Laws.

Prior to this week, I knew Newton's 3rd Law as "for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction". In class, I learned it more precisely as "all forces come in mutual interaction pairs". I also learned that the two forces in a 3rd Law pair cat on the different objects, are of the same type, and are equal and opposite. I was then able to apply this to interaction diagrams, which detail the forces acting between objects, as well as free body diagrams. 

Quiz 4.1

This past Friday, we took a quiz on learning goal 4.1. I felt pretty good about the quiz coming in, and after looking at the answer key, I think I did pretty well. I definitely liked the multiple choice format on some of the questions on the quiz, as well as the optional challenge problems. Overall, I feel pretty good about the quiz as well as my understanding of learning goal 4.1.