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Wave on a String
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Watch a string vibrate in slow motion. Wiggle the end of the string and make waves, or adjust the frequency and amplitude of an oscillator. Adjust the damping and tension. The end can be fixed, loose, or open.
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Teaching Resources
Main Topics
- Waves
- Frequency
- Amplitude
Sample Learning Goals
- Discuss wave properties using common vocabulary.
- Predict the behavior of waves through varying medium and at reflective endpoints.
Tips for Teachers
The teacher's guide (pdf) contains tips created by the PhET team.
Teaching Ideas
| Title | Authors | Level | Type | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Investigating Properties of Transverse Waves
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Elyse Zimmer | HS | Lab | 7/21/14 |
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Properties of a wave
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Jackie Esler | MS | Lab CQs |
7/25/11 |
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Waves & The Electromagnetic Spectrum
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Phil Cook | HS | HW | 6/6/09 |
Concept questions for Physics using PhET (Inquiry Based)
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Trish Loeblein | HS UG-Intro |
CQs | 7/7/13 |
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Wave unit (Inquiry Based)
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Trish Loeblein | HS UG-Intro |
CQs Lab Demo |
7/9/13 |
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Wave clicker questions (Inquiry Based)
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Trish Loeblein | UG-Intro HS |
CQs | 7/9/13 |
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Wave demonstrations: water, sound, light (Inquiry Based)
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Trish Loeblein | HS UG-Intro |
Demo CQs |
7/7/13 |
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EM wave analogy tutorial
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Noah Podolefksy | UG-Intro | Lab | 6/21/08 |
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Waves on a String (Inquiry Based)
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Trish Loeblein | UG-Intro HS |
Lab CQs |
7/7/13 |
| Wave on a String Independent Student Learning Guide | Valerie Chapple | HS MS |
Lab | 1/9/15 |
| Verschil amplitude en frequentie | Gerrit de Wit | MS | Lab | 11/10/14 |
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Speed of a Wave NGSS aligned
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Susie Dykstra, Trish Loeblein | HS | Lab | 10/22/14 |
| Properties of a Wave Lab | Jason Acosta | HS | Lab | 10/2/13 |
| Oscillate Waves and Wavelengths | Kim Wu | MS | CQs Lab |
3/19/13 |
| Wave on a String Student Learning Guide | Kathleen Miller | MS | Lab | 7/28/12 |
| Wave Refraction and Reflection | Christine Deyo | HS | Lab | 5/29/12 |
| Wave Exporation | Michael Noel | HS MS |
Demo | 5/15/12 |
| Finding the speed of a wave on a string | J. Howard | HS | Lab | 2/15/12 |
| Properties of waves | Kristi Goodwin | MS | CQs | 10/27/11 |
| Standing Waves Exploration | N Whipple | HS | Lab | 8/31/11 |
| Applications of Sinusoidal Functions | Andrzej Sokolowski | HS | Lab | 12/29/10 |
| Wave pre-lecture introduction for regular level | Steve Banasiak | HS | Lab | 4/24/10 |
| Sound Virtual Practical Activity | Bruce Carpenter | HS | Lab | 9/16/09 |
| Modeling: deriving "v =(wavelength)(f); et al. | T. Egan, J. Marino | HS | Lab | 5/26/09 |
| Slinky Lab With PhET Waves Simulation | Chris Bires | HS | Lab | 8/4/10 |
| Wave on a String Simulation | S. Pennington | HS | Lab CQs |
5/7/08 |
| Investigating waves | Nancy Flowers | HS | Lab | 4/16/08 |
| Wave on a string--the basics | Chris Cochran | MS | Lab | 2/28/08 |
| Waves Review | Michael F. Gallo | HS | HW Lab |
2/8/08 |
| Wave Motion | unknown unknown | HS | HW | 4/25/08 |
| Waves | Robert Kennedy | HS | Lab | 5/20/07 |
| Wave on a String | Gretchen Swanson | HS | Lab | 9/18/07 |
| Waves on a String Discovery Activity | Lori Andersen | HS | Lab | 9/18/07 |
| Waves on a String | Katherine Frett | HS | Lab | 4/2/07 |
| Wave on a String Comparison | curt miller | HS | Lab | 3/31/07 |
| Finding Wave Properties | Karen King, Stephan Graham | HS | Lab | 4/22/08 |
| Standing Waves | Stephan Graham | HS | Lab | 9/18/07 |
| Reflection and Interference of Waves | Paul Williams, Myra West | UG-Intro | Lab | 1/5/09 |
| Measurement of wave parameters | Gagik Demirjian | HS MS |
Lab | 12/24/13 |
| Demonstartion of waves on a string | Gagik Demirjian | MS | Demo | 12/24/13 |
| 줄의 피동 SIM 사용지침서 | 이화국(Wha Kuk Lee) | UG-Intro HS |
Demo Lab |
5/18/13 |
You can submit your own ideas and activities.
Related Simulations
Translated Versions:
Software Requirements
| Windows | Macintosh | Linux |
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Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 Macromedia Flash 9 or later
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OS 10.5 or later Macromedia Flash 9 or later
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Macromedia Flash 9 or later
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Credits
| Design Team | Third-party Libraries | Thanks To |
|---|---|---|
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