A student uses a vibration generator to produce a steady wave in a metal rod. A pickup connected to an oscilloscope is used to locate the nodes. The student measures the distance between one pair of adjacent nodes with a ruler and reads the frequency from a signal generator. These measurements are used to calculate the wave speed.
Describe an improved procedure for obtaining the wavelength from the nodes. Give a reason why this procedure would reduce uncertainty in the calculated wave speed.
112 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 4.1 Wave properties, covering 4.1.1 Waves transfer energy and information, 4.1.2 Frequency, wavelength, amplitude, period and wavefronts, 4.1.3 Longitudinal and transverse waves, 4.1.4 The wave speed equations, 4.1.5 Measuring wave velocity, and 4.1.6 Calculating depth or distance from waves. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.