PhET Simulation Online Lab: Wave Interference

This PhET Wave Interference online lab provides an excellent opportunity for your students to experiment with waves and their interactions. Students will investigate the relationship between the wavelength and frequency of the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and calculate the speed of light using the simulation. Next, they will experiment with diffraction, wave interference and the factors that affect the fringe pattern that occurs when light waves pass through single and double slits. They will then use Young's double slit equation to calculate the distance between the bright fringes of the interference pattern. To check student understanding, follow up questions are also provided.

This simulation gives students a chance to "see" light waves, their interactions and get immediate feedback when experimental parameters are changed.

After completing this lab students should be able to:

a) design an experimental method to determine the speed of a wave.

b) create an interference pattern from two sources and investigate ways to change the pattern.

c) identify points of constructive and destructive interference.

d) investigate what happens when light encounters a barrier with a single slit.

e) investigate the interference pattern that occurs when light encounters a barrier with two slits.

f) investigate what factors affect the distance between the bright fringes of a double slit interference pattern.

g) use the double slit equation to calculate the distance between the bright fringes of the interference pattern.

h) predict how changing the wavelength of the light and the aperture size affect a diffraction pattern.

Included in this product are:

1) a worksheet for understanding the Anatomy of a Wave.

2) a worksheet for understanding Wave Interactions.

3) a getting started teachers guide.

4) the eight page PhET lab activity worksheets.

5) solutions for the lab worksheets.

Note: In this lab you will only be investigating light waves. Your students will not use the water or sound waves windows. The Anatomy of a Wave worksheet is the same as that included in our Waves Intro and Wave on a String resource.

Your students will use one of the online simulations from PhET Interactive Simulations. The simulation is called Wave Interference HTML5. The simulation runs right in the web browser of your computer or tablet. Nothing to download or install.

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