Harmonic Motion
October 19, 2009
Trig Students Study Harmonic Motion
Students in Coach Powell's trig class have been studying the graphs of the six trigonometric functions. Using the sine or cosine graphs, the students have been looking at and creating harmonic motion graphs. Students collected data using a light probe and a TI-84 graphics calculator, and found that light creates a nice sine wave. They also used a tuning fork and microphone to generate a graph and predict the frequency of the tuning fork.
The last lab the students did involved oscillating motion. They used a motion detector and graphing calculator to look at that motion. It was interesting to actually generate the graphs discussed in class. Members of the trig class include Lydia Bechtel, Ambrea Hendrickson, Scott Hughes, Kathleen McKenzie, and Samantha Worley. A slideshow of the students at work and the graphs they generated is included for viewing below.
