Creating a Virtual Ripple Tank in Microsoft Word

摘要

A ripple tank is an excellent apparatus for displaying the interference pattern generated by circular waves originating from two points in a shallow basin of water. What sets it apart from the interference by sources of sound and light is that it allows the interfering waves to be seen and measured (see Fig. 1). This paper describes a fairly quick way to investigate two-dimensional wave interference on a computer without putting that computer near a wet, sloshing tank of water. Microsoft Word was used for this purpose, although a wide range of other simple drawing programs may be employed.