Explore Exploration Activity ? What happens when two waves meet while they travel through the same medium? What effect will the meeting of the waves have upon the appearance of the medium? Will the two waves bounce off each other upon meeting (much like two billiard balls would) or will the two waves pass through each other? These questions involving the meeting of two or more waves along the same medium pertain to the topic of wave interference. Wave interference is the phenomenon that occurs when two waves meet while traveling along the same medium. The interference of waves causes the medium to take on a shape that results from the net effect of the two individual waves upon the particles of the medium. To begin our exploration of wave interference, consider two pulses of the same amplitude traveling in different directions along the same medium. As the pulses move towards each other, there will eventually be a moment in time when they meet. In this simulation you will explore what happens when wave interference occurs. Procedure: 1. Open the PhET simulation "Wave Interference": https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/legacy/wave- interference 2. Click on "Show Graph". 3. Click on "Two Drips" on the right hand side and observe what occurs in the water and the graph. 4. Click on "Sound" at the top right. 5. Click on "Show Graph". 6. Click on "Two Speakers" and observe what happens to the sound waves and on the graph. 7. Click on "Light" at the top right. 8. Click on "Show Graph". 9. Click on "Two Lights" and observe what happens to Water Level the light waves and on the graph. Use the simulation to answer the questions below. 1. Describe what happens to the waves when you switch from one wave to two in the simulations. 2. Describe what happens to the graph when you switch from one wave to two in the simulations. 18 LEARN 4 LIFE CHANGE LIVES Integrated Science 1B Credit 53. Go back to the "Water" simulation. Adjust the "Frequency" and "Amplitude" bars. What occurs in the water? What occurs on the graph? 4. Go back to the "Sound" simulation. Adjust the "Frequency" and "Amplitude" bars. What happens to the sound waves? What occurs on the graph? 5. Is this similar or different than what happened with the water when you adjusted the frequency and amplitude? 6. Go back to the "Light" simulation. Adjust the "Wavelength" and "Amplitude" bars. What happens to the light waves? What occurs on the graph? 7. Is this similar or different than what happened with the water and sound when you adjusted the frequency and amplitude? "Interference of Waves." Waves - Lesson 3 - Behavior of Waves. The Physics Classroom, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016. . Adams, Wendy, Noah Podolefsky, Sam Reid, and Danielle Harlow. "Wave Interference." PhET. University of Colorado Boulder, 6 July 2011. Web. 23 Feb. 2016 19 LEARN 4 LIFE CHANGE LIVES Integrated Science 1B