MJ26

Investigating the Reflection of Sound Waves

Using Echoes to Measure the Speed of Sound

ECHO

50m or MORE

Sound is reflected off a wall. When the reflected sound is heard this is the echo

.
1
A
person
stands about som
away from
a wall or (cliff)
trundle wheel to measure
this distance .
using a

and
.
2 The
person bangs two wooden sticks
together
listens for the echo .
 and starts
. A
3 second
person
has a

stopwatch timing when

they hear one

of the bangs and stops timing when they
hear the echo .

Go times and
. The is then
repeated average
an
4
process
time calculated .

The distance travelled sound between each

.
5
by the
clap
and echo will be (2x50) m

.
6 The
speed of sound can be
from this
calculated

using equation
distance and the time the

2x distance to
speed of sound =
wall

time taken

3
=
 D

B
A

C
 Measuring the
speed of sound

Equipment list

Equipment Purpose
To the distance travelled
Trundle
measure
by
the sound waves
Wheel

To create sound when

Wooden
banged
a

Blocks together
To time how it takes the sound
long
Stopwatch waves to travel

To display the sound wave

electronically
Oscilloscope
To detect soundwaves and turn them
Microphones
X2
into an electrical signal

Tape To measure the distance between

Measure microphones

TTT https://
Trundle Wheel www.youtube.com/
watch?
v=B5l_ocx9h1o
· Precisim of measuring equipment
· Trundle wheel = o - olm

okm
·

Tape measure =

watch ols
stop
= o .

Precision :The smallest division

measuring
-
on a

instrument .
-

Experiment measuring 1 :
the
speed of sound

between two
points .

· This experiment aims to measure the speed of

sound in air between two points .

Variables

Independent variable = Distance

 ·

Dependent variable = Time

· Control variables :

· Same location to
carry
-
out the
experiment
·

Independent variable the variable

:
you change ;

unaffected by other variables.

Dependent variable The variable you

:
measure ;

other variables
dependent
on

DV ,
Control
· variable : The variable which can
effect
must be controlled (kept constant) otherwise investigation will
be
effected. &

Loud
Method :
Measuring the
speed of sound
ming
Noise
 of sound
·

Measuring
the
speed directlybetween two

points .

wheel to measure
1. Use the trundle a distance of 100m
between two people .

should have two wooden blocks

.
2 One
of people
the a

above their head to

which
they soundbang together
will

generate waves .

.
3 The second
person stopwatch
should have a which

the first
they start when
they person banging
see

hear
the blocks
together
and
stop they
when a

sound .

.
4 This should be
repeated several times and an

taken the time travelled

averag
e
for by the
sound w aves .

5
Repeat this
experiment for various distances e

g.
.

.
,

Rom , Mom Hom ,

fom
,
 Results

of sound
· An
example
results table
for the speed in

air

Distance/m Time 1/Time2/ Time 3/ Averageat

100

120

148
-

160

180
 Analysis of results

· The
speed of sound can be calculated
using
the

equation
·

distance travelled
average speed
=

time taken

the sound in the should work

The
speed of
air
·

out to be about 34om/s .

A
 B

sound
Experiment
2 :
measuring
the
speed of with

oscilloscopes
· This
experimentbetween two
aims to measure
the
speed of
sound in air
points using an

oscil oscope .

Variables

Distance
Independent
· variable =
 variable Time
·

Dependent =

· Control variables :

· Same location to
carry
out the
experiment
Jame set
·

of microphones for each trial.

Method

A few metres

Measuring the speed of sound using an oscilloscope and

microphones
 Connect two to
.
1

microphones oscilloscope
an

2 .
Place them about

to
2 m a

part using tape a

measure measure the distance between

them .

3 .
Set
up
the
oscilloscope trigers
so that it when

the second (labelled detects ,

microphone
a sound

the time base that the sound

and
adjust so
arriving
at both the
microphones be
can seen on screen .

4 . Produce a
sound
using
the
loudspeaker (connected with
a
signal generator) next to the second (labelled microphone .

Use the to determine the time at which

oscilloscope
5 .

the sound reaches each and the time difference

microphone
between them .

Repeat this
experiment for several distances
6 e 2m 2 Im ,
g
. .
. ,
,

3m 3 im
, ,
and an

average
time difference calculated.
 Results

An
example results table for obtainingthe speed of
sound
using occil oscope
an .

Time difference time

Distance blu difference
Time Time Average
difference/s
microphones/m /s difference 2/3/s

2 8
.

25

.8
3
-

.5
3

4 .
0
 Analysis of results

· The
speed of sound can be calculated
using
the

equation
·

speed-distance microphone blu

average
·

time between peaks

the sound in the should work

The
speed of
air
·

out to be about 34om/s .

Evaluating the
experiments

Systematic Eurous :

on
experiment 2, ensure the scale of the time base is

accounted for correctly

.
The to be small (e gmilliseconds)
scale
likely taken into
·
is -

so ensure this is account when

.
calculating speed
Random errors :

· The main cause

of error in
experiment
1 is the

measurement
of time .

· Ensure to take
repeat readings when
timing
intervals and calculate to
average
an

this to
keep
error a minimum.

· Manimise the distance between the two people where

possible . This will reduce the error in

measurements
of time because the time taken
·

by the sound waves to travel will be

greater .

Random Errors :
Unpredictable changes in an

measurement to
experiment causing one
slightly
differ from the next .

Affects precision .

Systematic errors : Faults in the

experimental
apparatusmeasurement or

affect ,
method which
consistently every
for This affects
example
accuracy
,
a zero error .

.
When answering questions about methods to measure waves, the
question could ask you to comment on the accuracy of the
measurements.

In the
When case ofquestions
answering measuring thetospeed
about methods of sound
measure waves, : could ask you to comment on the accuracy of the
the question
measurements.
In the case of measuring the speed of sound:
. Experiment 2 is the most accurate because the timing is done
automatically.
. Experiment 1 is the least accurate because the time interval is very short.
Whilst this may not be too important when giving a method, you should be able to explain why each method is accurate or
inaccurate and suggest ways of making them better (use bigger distances)
Whilst this may not be too important when giving a method, you should be
able to explain why each method is accurate or inaccurate and suggest
ways of making them better( use bigger distances)
. For example, if a manual stopwatch is being used there could be
variation in the time measured which can be up to 0.2 seconds due to a
person's reaction time.

. The time interval could be as little as 0.3 seconds for sound travelling in
the air
. This means that the variation due to the stopwatch readings has a big
influence on the results and they may not be reliable
 Measuring Wave
Speed in Water

Ripples on water
surfaces are used to model

transverse waves

The
·

speed of these water waves can

be measured
.

Ripples on Water

Creating ripples in water

1. Choose a calm
flat water
surface such as a lake or a

.
swimming pool
Two
.
2
people stand a
few metres apart using tape a

measure to measure this distance .

.
3 One
person
counts down
from three and disturbs the
water
surface (using their hand ,
for example) to create
a
ripple
.

The second that starts to time how

.
4
person stopwatch a

long it takes
for the
first to
ripple get to them .

5 . The
experiment is then
repeated 10 times and an

average
value
for the time is calculated .

.
s The time and distance then be used to
average
can

calculate the wave

speed using equation
the :

= distance moved
average speed
time taken