What happens to a wave as it hits a surface it cannot pass through?
When a wave hits a surface that it cannot pass through it simple bounces back creating a intersecting pattern between the waves. Aca and I did many tests where we both saw that the wave created a very interesting pattern when bouncing back from the barrier. When a wave meets a barrier and it reflects off the surface of the barrier, some of the wave’s energy is lost because of the pressure against the barrier. When a wave passes a barrier or moves through a hole in a barrier, it bends and spreads out. This is called a diffraction. We also saw interference which is when more waves meet, they have an effect on each other.
Does energy (density of the ball) affect the wave’s path?
In our mini lab Ilija and I noticed that the density of the ball does affect the wave’s path. We used three different types of balls: a medium sized bouncy ball, a light Styrofoam ball, and a small orange light plastic ball. In our experiment the Styrofoam ball and the small orange plastic ball were both every light, the rubber bouncy ball was the heaviest. When we tested the bouncy ball we found that it made the widest triangle when bouncing off the wall.The bouncy ball had the biggest angle of incidence, and angle of reflection.The foam ball made the second biggest triangle when reflecting off of the wall. It had the second biggest angle of incidence and angle of reflection. The small light orange plastic ball made the smallest triangle when we were testing. The small light orange ball had the smallest angle of incidence and angle of reflection. I suppose that this was the lightest or the least dense ball that we had. I noticed that when the ball hit the wall refraction occurred, when it hit the wall the balls slowed down.
How is the angle at which the ball (wave) hit the wall related to the angle at which it bounces back?
As we found in our testing our lab we found that the angle at which the ball hits the wall it comes back at about the same angle. When testing the lab 10 times each our results ended up to be the lightest and least dense the ball the smaller the triangle the ball would made after the ball reflected the barrier or the wall. We did a little experimenting with the angles we rolled the wall and found that it would reflect off the wall about the same place every time. We noticed that the incoming "wave" reflected off the wall at the same angle. This is because the law of reflection states that the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence. To conclude this lab, I would like to say that it was a very interesting and inventive was to learn how waves reflect of a barrier.
Well done! You clearly understand the principles behind reflection and diffraction in your conclusions.
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