Ripple Tank Simulation
A ripple tank shows every classic wave behaviour in one place. This simulation lets you place barriers, gaps and different depth regions, then watch waves reflect, refract and diffract around them.
How to use this simulation
- Set the wave frequency and source type
- Place barriers, gaps and shallow regions
- Use two sources to produce interference
What to look for
- Waves slow and bend on entering shallow water
- Spreading through a gap is greatest when the gap matches the wavelength
- Two sources produce a fixed pattern of reinforcement and cancellation
The physics behind it
Water waves reflect from barriers with the angle of reflection equal to the angle of incidence, refract when entering shallower water where they slow and bend, and diffract when passing through a gap. Diffraction is most pronounced when the gap size is comparable to the wavelength — a wide gap barely spreads the wave at all.