PASCO WA-9897 User Manual

Ripple Tank

®

Ripple Tank

Reflector

Storage
Box

Beaker, 1000
mL

Projection
Screen

Rod

Barriers

Ruler

Refractors

Surfactant
Bottle

Pipette, 5 mL

Leg

WA-9897

Instruction Sheet

012-10034B

Introduction

The PASCO model WA-9897 Ripple Tank is designed to be used
with the PASCO model WA-9896 Ripple Generator and Light
Source. The tank is 42.5 cm by 42.5 cm by 2.5 cm with four foam
“beaches” and a 0.3 cm thick glass plate. The viewing area is 33
cm by 33 cm. The tank has an easy-to-use drain pipe consisting

of a piece of flexible vinyl plastic tubing and a tube clamp. The
tank is supported by three detachable legs with adjustable feet
and comes with a reflector and projection screen.

The ripple tank also comes with the following: ruler, pipette, sur­factant bottle, storage box, barriers (5 pieces), refractors (3
pieces), a beaker, and a rod for supporting a light source. The list
of included parts is given below.

800-772-8700 www.pasco.com

®

Model No. WA-9897 Items

Screen
assembly

Ripple Tank
assembly

Rod

Plastic
storage
box

Legs and
ruler

Holes

Velcro®
‘loop’
material

Reflector

Items

Description Part Number

1. Ruler 699-081

2. Pipette, 5 mL 699-154

3. Storage box 740-177

4. Bottle, 1 ounce, (for Tergitol surfactant

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650-072

5. Long barrier (2 pieces) 648-09718

6. Mini barrier 648-09717

7. Short barrier 648-09719

8. Curved reflector 648-09820

9. Concave refractor 648-09720

10. Convex refractor 648-09721

11. Trapezoidal refractor 648-09714

12. Rod for Light Source 648-09713

13. Leg, Ripple Tank 648-09705

14. Beaker, 1000 mL 699-197

15. Screen assembly 003-09736

16. Ripple Tank assembly 003-09703

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Note: The Tergitol L-62 surfactant is part number 699-023.

Descriptions

The box in which the Ripple Tank is stored has two layers. The
screen assembly, plastic storage box, rod, and beaker are in the top
layer, and the ruler, legs, and Ripple Tank assembly are in the bot­tom layer. The top layer has areas for storing the WA-9896 Ripple
Generator and Light Source, including the power adapter and cord.

Screen Assembly

The screen assembly is a reflector and a projection screen joined at
one edge by a strip of flexible tape. Note: Remove any protective
coating from the reflector and the screen before using. The reflector is alumi­nized acrylic. The screen is translucent plastic.

There are three holes along the top edge of the reflector and two strips of V el­cro® ‘loop’ material along the top edge of the projection screen.

Projection
screen

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Model No. WA-9897 Setup

Drain hole

Threaded hole

Pegs

Strip of Velcro® ‘hook’
material (not shown)

Squeeze
to tighten

Pull to
loosen

Ripple Tank Assembly

The ripple tank assembly has an impact resistant plastic frame.
Below the front edge of the frame is a strip of Velcro® ‘hook’
material that will hold the ‘loop’ material on the top edge of the
projector screen. Below the back edge of the frame are three
pegs that fit into the holes in the top edge of the reflector. The
threaded hole on the top side of the back edge is for the rod that
can support the Light Source that is included in the WA-9896
Ripple Generator and Light Source. When the ripple tank is in
use, the four foam ‘beaches’ dampen the waves that would oth­erwise reflect and disturb the primary wave and interference
patterns. The foam beaches are replaceable. (A variety of
replacement parts are available in the WA-9898 Ripple Tank
Replacement Set.)

The ripple tank’s drain pipe is a piece of flexible vinyl tubing
attached below the drain hole at the back corner of the tank. Squeeze the sides ot the tube clamp on the
drain pipe to tighten the clamp on the tubing. Pull downward on the lip of the tube clamp to loosen the
clamp.

Setup

T o setup the ripple tank, screw the legs into the threaded holes on the underside near the two front corners
of the tank, and under the midpoint of the back edge. Place the ripple tank on a smooth, level surface.

To attach the reflector and projection screen to the tank, unfold the screen assembly and put the reflector
between the two front legs. Angle the reflector upwards and guide the top edge so that the three holes fit
over the pegs that are at the back edge of the tank. Next, raise the projection screen to the vertical position
and attach its Velcro ® ‘loop’ material to the strip of ‘hook’ material under the front edge of the tank.

Apply Surfactant Before putting water into the ripple tank for the first time, prepare the foam
beaches, barriers, and refractors with a drop of surfactant (a nonionic wetting agent). The surfactant helps to
avoid problems with the surface tension of the water. Put a single drop of surfactant from the small plastic
bottle onto the end of one finger, and lightly rub your finger along the foam beaches. Use a single drop of
surfactant to very sparingly coat the large flat surfaces of the three refractors and the front surfaces of the
straight and curved barriers. Note that you only need to apply surfactant to the beaches, barriers, and refrac­tors before using the ripple tank for the first time, or if the equipment has been unused for a long time.

Level the Ripple Tank When you are ready to add water to the tank, squeeze the sides of the tube
clamp to close the clamp. Use the beaker to add a small amount of water to the middle of the tank so that the
water forms a circle about 10 cm in diameter. Adjust the feet on the legs until the circle of water stays in the
middle of the tank and does not move toward any side. (An alternate method for leveling the tank is to add
about 800 milliliters of water to the tank. Measure the water depth at three of the four corners of the tank and
adjust the feet on the legs until the depths are the same.)

Dampen the Foam Beaches To reduce the problem of surface tension, let the foam beaches soak
up some of the water. After putting about 800 milliliters of water in the tank, press down on the foam and
then release the pressure so that water enters the pores of the foam rubber.

Cleanup

Before emptying the tank, remove the projection screen and reflector. Fold the screen assembly so the pro­jection screen protects the reflector.

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Model No. WA-9897 Technical Support

To empty the tank, place a container under the drain pipe and open the tube clamp. When the water stops
flowing, raise the corner of the tank opposite to the drain hole so the rest of the water will drain out. Leave
the tube clamp in the open position.

Be careful to get as much water out of the foam beaches as possible. Press with your thumbs against the
foam to squeeze the water out. Next, press a rolled-up towel onto the foam beaches to soak up any remaining
water.

Dry the glass plate completely so that water spots won’t form on the plate. To clean the glass plate or the
reflector, use a soft cloth moistened with water and then dry with a clean towel. Do not use soap or chemical
cleaners.

Technical Support

For assistance with any PASCO product, contact PASCO at:

Address: PASCO scientific

10101 Foothills Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95747-7100

Phone: [phone] (worldwide)

800-772-8700 (U.S.)
Fax: [phone]
Web: www.pasco.com
Email: [e-mail]

Limited Warranty

For a description of the product warranty, see the PASCO catalog.

Copyright

The PASCO scientific 012-10034B Ripple Tank Instruction Sheet is copyrighted with all rights reserved. Permission is
granted to non-profit educational institutions for reproduction of any part of this manual, providing the reproductions are
used only in their laboratories and classrooms, and are not sold for profit. Reproduction under any other circumstances,
without the written consent of PASCO scientific, is prohibited.

Trademarks

PASCO and PASCO scientific are trademarks or registered trademarks of PASCO scientific, in the United States and/or in
other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of, and are used
to identify, products or services of, their respective owners. For more information visit www.pasco.com/legal.

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