A ripple tank made of Lego bricks for student experiments

Determann, Gabriel; Pusch, Alexander

Abstract

In this article, we present a wave tank made of Lego bricks, that can be replicated using our freely available instructions. We describe three experiments: single slit (diffraction), double slit (interference) and the behaviour of a wave on a reflective surface. We compare the experimental results from this ripple tank made of bricks with a setup of the commercial demonstration experiment and a simulation. Creating the experimental setup with bricks can motivate learners and enable them to implement their own ideas when varying the experiments.