In class you learned about propagation of waves in a stretched spring. The speed of waves (periodic waves or pulses) on a spring depends on the tension and the linear density, H, of the spring. One way to make direct measurements of wave speed is to create a transverse pulse in a tight spring of known stretched length and then measure the time taken by that e end of the spring to tl to investigate how the speed of pulses in a given long spring depends on its tension. 1. Predict how the speed of a pulse will change if we stretch the spring more (that is, we increase the tension T in the spring). Will it increase, decrease, or stay the same? Explain why you think so.
2. Suggest or outline an experimental procedure to measure the speed of pulses, v, in the spring.
3. For the pulses travellin accurate or less accurate if you measure time for longer travel distance?
4. If the answer is more accurate for Question# 3, how can you measure the travel time for distances longer than the length of the spring?
5. What can you conclude about the relationship between the tension in the spring and of the wave speed of the pulses?
6. Does the linear density (mass per unit length) of the spring change as the spring is stretched? Explain your answer.
7. From graph of v vs. VTA, do you agree that u_ⅤΤμ ? explain your answer using features of the graph such as shape, slope or intercept.
8. From graph of v vs. VTH, do you agree that v-NT explain your answer using the equation of the line.
9. What are the main sources of uncertainty in this experiment? Don't say human error, we'l1 assume you did it as well as possible given the equipment and method we used. What limitations of the equipment and method created the most uncertainty in the reslts?
10. What conclusion do you make from this experiment about the exact relationship between wave speed and tension for transverse waves on a spring?