| Lesson Plan |
| Grade: |
Date: 25/02/2026 |
| Subject: Physics |
| Lesson Topic: describe what is meant by wave motion as illustrated by vibration in ropes, springs and ripple tanks |
Learning Objective/s:
- Describe the nature of progressive wave motion and differentiate transverse, longitudinal, and surface waves.
- Explain how wave speed relates to frequency and wavelength for each demonstration.
- Interpret observations from rope, spring, and ripple‑tank experiments to identify particle motion and energy transport.
- Apply the appropriate wave‑speed formula to calculate speed in each medium.
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Materials Needed:
- Long rope or string under tension
- Coiled spring
- Ripple tank with vibrator and light source
- Projector or interactive whiteboard
- Worksheet with observation tables
- Stopwatch or timer
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Introduction:
Begin with a short video of ocean waves, then ask students how energy can travel without the water itself moving far. Recall prior learning on simple harmonic motion and the definition of amplitude, frequency and wavelength. Explain that today they will explore wave motion through three hands‑on demonstrations and will be able to predict wave speed using the appropriate formulas.
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Lesson Structure:
- Do‑now (5') – quick questions on previous SHM lesson.
- Demonstration 1 – Rope transverse wave (10') – oscillate rope, record direction of particle motion, wavelength, discuss energy transfer.
- Demonstration 2 – Spring longitudinal wave (10') – compress/release spring, note compressions/rarefactions, calculate speed using v = √(k/μ).
- Demonstration 3 – Ripple tank (10') – generate circular wavefronts, measure wavelength & frequency, verify v = fλ.
- Guided comparison (8') – fill Venn diagram highlighting similarities/differences using the comparison table.
- Check for understanding (5') – short quiz via clickers or show of hands.
- Summary discussion (5') – recap key concepts and address misconceptions.
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Conclusion:
Students summarise the three demonstrations, stating how particle motion differs while the underlying wave principles are common. They complete an exit ticket describing one real‑world example of each wave type. For homework they answer worksheet problems calculating wave speed for given frequencies and wavelengths.
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