Mini Ripple Tank

What You Can Teach with the Mini Ripple Tank

Ideal for middle school through AP/IB and introductory college waves units:

• Wave properties: wavelength, frequency, period, amplitude, and wave speed.
• Reflection & refraction: How boundaries and depth changes redirect waves.
• Diffraction: Wave spreading through gaps and around edges.
• Interference / superposition: Constructive and destructive interference from two-point sources and barriers.
• Lenses & focusing (water-wave analog): Use included lenses to show converging/diverging effects.

How Teachers Use Implement It

• Lab stations that rotate: Because it’s portable and quick to reset, teachers often set up 2–4 tanks around the room. Groups rotate through tasks like single-source waves, two-source interference, and barrier diffraction.
• Freeze-and-measure moments: Students tune the strobe to “lock” waves in place, then measure wavelength directly on the viewing screen before calculating speed.
• Short, repeatable trials: With easy frequency control, groups can run multiple quick trials to compare patterns, record sketches/photos, and build evidence for CER claims.
• Whole-class anchor demo: Teachers frequently start with a front-table demo to introduce a phenomenon, then release tanks to groups for deeper investigation