Building a Tidal Wave Attenuator

Wave Attenuator Sketch. Image description under Featured Image Description Heading.
Learning Goals

Learning Goals:

  1. Students will describe and model the energy transfer and transformation in a wave attenuator.
  2. Students will build a wave attenuator using a diagram and selected materials.
  3. Students will test the model wave attenuator they built.
Materials List

Handouts

  • Student Science Journals

Classroom Supplies

  • 100-quart Tote
  • Water to fill the tote approximately 5 inches deep
  • 2L Soda bottle
  • 1 Galvanometer or Vernier LabQuest2 with Vernier instrumentation amplifier
  • Needle nose pliers or wire cutter
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun
  • Sandpaper
  • Metronome
  • Laptops, Chromebooks, or computers

Group Supplies (3-4 per group)

  • 90cm Magnet wire
  • 1 Rare earth magnet
  • 2 3 1/2 x 7 x 1 1/4 inch Foam
  • 1 7/8 x 3/4 inch Acrylic tube
  • 1 3/4 x 3 inch Acrylic tube (used for wire)
  • 1 1/4 20 4 inch Bolt
  • 2 1/4 20 Nuts
  • 2 1 1/2 inch L bracket
  • 90cm of Duct tape
  • Roll of scotch tape

Important Links

Featured Image Description

Diagram of a Wave Attenuator Model “Sea Snake”. Sitting over a line representing waves are two rectangles labeled “1 1/8″ Foam” Between these rectangles ins a line labeled “Duct Tape Joint” On each foam rectangle is an L Bracket with the bracket pointed up. On the left side Nuts support a Bolt with a Rare Earth Magnet that is inside an Acrylic Tube that is parallel to the foam. The Acrylic Tube is wrapped in Magnetic Wire. Connected to the Wire and sitting in the upper right of the diagram is a Volt Meter diagram.

Lesson 2 of 3 / Time: 3 periods of 50 mins

Through a series of goal-oriented activities and research, students will build physical models that demonstrate the interactions between magnetism and magnetic fields as well as interactions between magnetism and electric fields. Students will be challenged to engineer devices that: change a magnetic field using electricity, creating a magnet using electricity, and inducing a changing magnetic field using a magnet. This lesson is suitable as an introduction to electromagnetism for various purposes especially for electricity generation (wave and tidal power, hydropower, wind power, and fossil fuel electricity generation).

Wave Attenuator

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