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Project Summary
| Difficulty | 9 |
| Time required | Long (a couple of weeks) |
| Material Availability | Readily available |
| Cost | High ($100 - $150) |
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| Sponsored by a generous grant from Chevron |
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Abstract
Here's a cool project for studying compression waves in different soil types. It uses a homemade wave tank for solids, with a frequency generator, amplifier, and loudspeaker as the vibration source. There are lots of interesting possibilities for variations with this one.Objective
The objective of this project is to learn if different types of soil or sand decrease the magnitude of compression waves.
Experimental Procedure
In order to test our hypothesis, a wave tank for solids was constructed. A loudspeaker was mounted at the base of the tank and a sound generator and amplifier were connected to the loudspeaker to create vibrations similar to that of an earthquake. An accelerometer connected to computer probeware was used to measure wave amplitude. Variations of both sand and soil were tested, separately, and a wooden box was placed over the accelerometer in half of the 105 tests. LoggerPro and FreqGenie softwares were also initialized. LoggerPro was primarily used to collect and graph the data, while FreqGenie was used to initiate the waves and control the amplitude of the speaker. The accelerometer was placed in three separate positions to ensure that conclusions would prove accurate.
Variations
- For more science project ideas in this area of science, see Geology Project Ideas.
Credits
Alexander Pherson; Sophie Scheidlinger
Last edit date: 2005-08-31 14:03:48
Career Focus
If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring careers in Geology.
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Geoscientist Just as a doctor uses tools and techniques, like x-rays and stethoscopes, to look inside the human body, geoscientists explore deep inside a much bigger patient—planet Earth. Geoscientists seek to better understand our planet, and to discover natural resources, like water, minerals, and petroleum oil, which are used in everything from shoes, fabrics, roads, roofs, and lotions to fertilizers, food packaging, ink, roads, and CD’s. The work of geoscientists affects everyone and everything. |
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Geographer When you hear the word geography, you might think of maps and names of state capitals, but the work of geographers is much more than creating maps and identifying places. Geographers look at how people, places, and Earth are connected. They study the economy, social conditions, climate, and topography of a region to help answer questions in urban and regional planning, business, agriculture, and medicine. | |
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