How to Make Wave Machine

We’re surrounded by waves! Sound and light travel as waves to our ears and eyes. Ocean waves crash onto the beach. Radio waves broadcast music to our cars. We even use waves to cook our food – in microwaves! Try making this wave machine to see how all different kinds of waves move! 

Ingredients:

  1. Stools (2)
  2. Duct tape
  3. Scissors
  4. Wooden skewers (50)
  5. Gumdrops
  6. Rocks (2)

STEP 1

How to Make Wave Machine 1
Gather your materials. Then, place two stools about 6 feet apart.

STEP 2

How to Make Wave Machine 2
Place a rock or two on each one. 

STEP 3

STEP 4

How to Make Wave Machine 5 1
Leaving about 1 foot of tape empty on each end, center the skewers along the tape, placing each one about 1 ½” away from the one before it. Waves can only travel things that are touching or connected. This is the purpose of the tape. A disturbance in one of the skewers twists the tape, causing a disturbance in the skewer after it and so on and so forth. 

STEP 5

How to Make Wave Machine 6
Push a gummy candy onto both ends of each skewer. 

STEP 6

How to Make Wave Machine 7
Tap the skewer on one end of the tape and see what happens! Did you see a wave form and roll down the line? 
Ali Kaya

Author

Ali Kaya

This is Ali. Bespectacled and mustachioed father, math blogger, and soccer player. I also do consult for global math and science startups.

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