3
3. Equipment supplied
1 Ripple tank
1 Projection mirror
1 Stand
1 Control unit for wave excitation unit and strobo-
scope
1 Stroboscope
1 Vibrator
1 Drainage hose
1 Hose clip
1 Exciter straight waves
3 Dippers for excitation of circular waves
1 Holder for dippers
3 Immersion bodies for experiments on refraction
(prisms, biconcave and biconvex lenses)
1 Obstacle with large slit and 4 individual slits
2 Small covering plates
2 Large covering plates
4. Technical data
Dimensions:
Tank:
345 x 250 x 10 mm³
Frame:
600 x 335 x 355 mm³
Frequency range:
continuous adjustment
Power supply:
9 V – 12 V DC via 4-mm
safety connectors
Lighting:
Halogen lamp 12 V/35 W,
GY6.35
5. Operation
For operation of the ripple tank an external DC
power supply unit12 V, 5 A is additionally required.
It is recommended that the experiments be carried
out using distilled water.
•
Place the ripple tank upon a horizontal sur-
face, making sure it is not subject to any
shocks.
•
Use the spirit level and two height-adjustable
feet to align the ripple tank horizontally.
•
Slide the projection mirror completely into the
frame. The mirror is not fixed, it simply rests.
•
Attach the drainage hose to the glass plate and
close it off with the hose clip.
•
Insert the stand into the frame and screw tight
with the knurled screw.
•
Screw the stroboscope onto the stand.
•
Connect the control unit to the DC voltage
supply unit and to the stroboscope.
•
Limit the output voltage to 12 V and the output
current to 5 A, and begin with the stroboscope
frequency set to zero.
•
Turn the stroboscope disc to provide maximum
illumination and adjust the height and posi-
tion of the stroboscope so that the ripple tank
is fully illuminated.
•
Mount the vibrator onto the frame of the rip-
ple tank. Attach the accessories required for
the appropriate experiments to the vibrator by
means of the knurled screws.
•
Connect the vibrator to the control unit.
•
Fill the tank with distilled water. For experi-
ments on refraction, fill the tank to approx. 1
mm over the level of the immersion bodies.
For other experiments, fill to approx. 5 mm
over the level of the immersion bodies.
•
Use the drainage hose to empty the tank after
the experiment.
•
Thoroughly dry the apparatus to prevent form-
ing of lime scale deposits.
•
To construct a reflecting wall or grilles with
varying slit widths, use a rubber band to fasten
the covering slides to the obstacle plate.
6. Wave excitation
Water depth, depth of immersion of the wave ex-
citers as well as frequency and amplitude of the
vibrator must be carefully selected in order to pre-
sent the optimum representation of the phenom-
ena to be observed.
By synchronising the stroboscope frequency with
that of the vibrator, the image of the waves can be
made to appear stationary.
If the frequency is altered, it may require a read-
justment of the amplitude in certain cases.
In some experiments, e.g. diffraction and reflec-
tion, it may be necessary to set certain ranges of
the wave pattern to an enhanced resolution. This is
done by modifying the amplitude accordingly.
6.1 Straight waves
•
With the help of the knurled screw, attach the
wave exciters to the vibrator.
•
Set the depth of immersion by selecting the
vibrator so that the lower edge of the exciter
dipper touches the water surface in a straight
line.
•
On the control unit, set the desired frequency
and amplitude.
On the viewing screen, a stationary or slowly mov-
ing wave pattern can be observed.
•
Make fine adjustments using the rotary knob.
