Wave Machine – Let’s Play with Waves!
Right-half medium: mass ratio spring constant ratio Reset Slow Description : This is a page for generating and observing waves using a wave machine. Many objects, constrained to move only in the vertical direction, are connected by springs. This type of apparatus is commonly used in high school laboratories to observe wave behavior and is known as a wave machine. On this page, we simulate the motion of such a device by solving its equations of motion. Try selecting one of the objects using your mouse or other pointing device. A hand icon will appear, allowing you to freely move the object up and down. When you move a selected object, its motion is transmitted to neighboring objects through the springs, creating a wave. Feel free to generate and observe different kinds of waves! The object at the far right is fixed to a much heavier mass, and for the purposes of this simulation, gravity, friction, and resistance are not considered. You can also use sliders to adjust the mass of the objects and the spring constant on the right half of the medium.Try experimenting with different settings to observe how wave speed changes depending on the medium, and how waves reflect at the boundary between different media. ● You can change the mass of the objects in the right half of the medium using the 'mass ratio' slider. ● You can change the spring constant of the springs in the right half of the medium using the 'spring constant ratio' slider. ● You can return to the initial state by clicking the [Reset] button. ● By checking the [Slow] checkbox, you can slow down the motion to make it easier to observe. Back to Contents Page Copyright 2025 KATO, Noriyoshi
Description : This is a page for generating and observing waves using a wave machine. Many objects, constrained to move only in the vertical direction, are connected by springs. This type of apparatus is commonly used in high school laboratories to observe wave behavior and is known as a wave machine. On this page, we simulate the motion of such a device by solving its equations of motion. Try selecting one of the objects using your mouse or other pointing device. A hand icon will appear, allowing you to freely move the object up and down. When you move a selected object, its motion is transmitted to neighboring objects through the springs, creating a wave. Feel free to generate and observe different kinds of waves! The object at the far right is fixed to a much heavier mass, and for the purposes of this simulation, gravity, friction, and resistance are not considered. You can also use sliders to adjust the mass of the objects and the spring constant on the right half of the medium.Try experimenting with different settings to observe how wave speed changes depending on the medium, and how waves reflect at the boundary between different media. ● You can change the mass of the objects in the right half of the medium using the 'mass ratio' slider. ● You can change the spring constant of the springs in the right half of the medium using the 'spring constant ratio' slider. ● You can return to the initial state by clicking the [Reset] button. ● By checking the [Slow] checkbox, you can slow down the motion to make it easier to observe.
Copyright 2025 KATO, Noriyoshi
