Wave Interactions

In science class we tested how waves would react with no barriers, one barrier, and two barriers. First we tested how the waves would react when there is no barrier while moving the tray side to side. the motion created roughly 3-4 waves that moved from side to side. The waves moved from side to side passing through each other created many standing waves. The waves remained virtually unaffected by each other, if one of the waves was isolated then it would seem as though it was just reflecting from one side to another. When we tested it with one large barrier using the same back and forth motion it became a totally different outcome. When the wave hit the barrier in the middle of the tray half of it was absorbed by the clay instead of reflecting it like when it did with no barriers while the other side kept on going before it got hit by the wave going in the other direction. The last test we did was with two large barriers placed parallel to each other in the middle of the tray. In the last test we used the same motion to create the waves as in the previous two tests. When the wave hit the barriers most of its energy dissipated but a small part of the wave goes through the small hole in the middle of the two barriers creating diffraction. From our tests on how waves interact I've learned a lot. Waves reflect when they hit a barrier, they diffract when they travel through a small hole, when two hit each other it creates the illusion of a standing wave.