Differences

This shows you the differences between the selected revision and the current version of the page.

activities:content:highlights:emplanewave 2013/09/30 10:29 activities:content:highlights:emplanewave 2013/10/08 12:05 current
Line 1: Line 1:
{{page>wiki:headers:hheader}} {{page>wiki:headers:hheader}}
- +  - This small group activity is designed to help upper-division undergraduate students visualize plane waves. 
- - This small group activity is designed to help upper-division undergraduate students visualize plane waves. + - Students work in small groups are given a two-dimensional vector $\vec{k}$ and are asked to calculate the value of $\vec k\cdot\rr$ for each point on a grid of points and then draw the set of points with constant value of $\Vec k\cdot\rr$ using rainbow colors to indicate increasing value.  
- + - The whole class wrap-up discussion includes group presentations where students are asked to describe the set of points of constant $\Vec k\cdot\rr$ in three dimensions, the set of points of constant $\cos(\Vec k\cdot\rr)$, and the set of points of constant $\cos(\Vec k\cdot\rr-\omega t)$; allowing students to visualize what's planar about plane waves.  For students that have studied complex numbers, a similar set of questions involving the complex exponential versions of these same expressions is also appropriate.
- - Students work in small groups are given a two-dimensional vector $\vec{k}$ and are asked to calculate the value of $\vec k\cdot\rr$ for each point on a grid of points and then draw the set of points with constant value of $\Vec k\cdot\rr$ using rainbow colors to indicate increasing value.  +
- +
- - The whole class wrap-up discussion includes group presentations where students are asked to describe the set of points of constant $\Vec k\cdot\rr$ in three dimensions, the set of points of constant $\cos(\Vec k\cdot\rr)$, and the set of points of constant $\cos(\Vec k\cdot\rr-\omega t)$; allowing students to visualize what's planar about plane waves.  For students that have studied complex numbers, a similar set of questions involving the complex exponential versions of these same expressions is also appropriate.+

Personal Tools