Online wave demo experiment

 Online wave demo using the @pascoscientific motion sensor, here protected in a cage in case the weights fall. Linked to Capstone, the students get an immediate readout as if they were in the room recording the data themselves.

Teaching Waves Online: Real-Time Experiments with Springs, Sensors and Pendulums

Teaching physics online doesn’t mean waving goodbye to hands-on experiments—it just means getting creative with how you deliver them. In our remote physics lab setup, we combine live demonstrations with real-time data collection so students don’t just watch science happen—they experience it.

The Spring-Mass System: Visualising Oscillations in Real Time

We start with a simple suspended spring and a hanging mass—classic harmonic motion. But with a few high-tech additions, this traditional setup becomes an interactive experiment for online students:

• A motion detector placed beneath the mass records displacement, velocity, and acceleration as the system oscillates.

• A force sensor tracks the restoring force as the spring stretches and compresses.

All this data is streamed in real time using PASCO Capstone software. The student sees the live graphs on screen: a beautifully synced trio of displacement, velocity, and acceleration curves, along with the force vs. time plot.

Then comes the interactive bit. With the student watching, the teacher varies the mass—more weight, more tension, and a longer period. Students observe in real time how the waveform changes. They can pause, rewind, take measurements, and even request new trials to test their predictions.

Pendulums and Periods: Swinging Into the Next Experiment

After spring dynamics, we switch to a pendulum fitted with a rotary motion sensor at the pivot. This setup tracks the angular displacement and velocity with precision.

We vary two key parameters:

• Mass of the bob: Does changing the mass affect the period?

• Length of the string: How does this impact the time for a full swing?

Again, PASCO Capstone records it all and shares the data with students, who can analyse it from home—calculating periods, checking for damping, and plotting angular displacement against time.

Why This Works

• Real-time feedback: Students don’t just get pre-recorded results—they see the experiment unfold live.

• Interactive learning: Students can request changes and test “what if” scenarios instantly.

• Data-driven understanding: They get complete data sets for analysis, just as they would in a real lab.

The Online Advantage

This approach doesn’t just replicate classroom teaching—it enhances it. The combination of live video, expert guidance, and sophisticated data collection makes these lessons memorable and effective. And because the data can be downloaded, shared, and re-analysed later, students get to practise not just observing, but thinking like physicists.