======Virtual Oscilloscope======


<WRAP right box>
**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
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**Alternative titles:** Online Oscilloscope
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====Summary====                   
{{$demo.summary}}



====Procedure====  
  - Use an online oscilloscope or download an app.
  - Clap, whistle, or speak into the microphone and observe the wave pattern.  
  - Adjust the time scale to zoom in on individual wave cycles or zoom out to see longer trends.  
  - Change the amplitude scale to fit the wave onto the display.  




====Links==== 
Search for virtual oscilloscopes online or as an app e.g.:\\

IS1: Virtual Oscilloscope - Jennifer Merritt: 
{{youtube>p1t2suUPHug?}}\\

📄 Virtual Oscilloscope - academo: [[https://academo.org/demos/virtual-oscilloscope/]]\\


====Variations====
  * Compare different sounds—voice, whistle, tapping a desk, or playing a musical instrument.  
  * Record and compare low-pitch and high-pitch sounds to see the effect on frequency.  
  * Use the simulator to compare sine, square, and triangle waves.  
  * Use the app’s export function (e.g., in phyphox) to collect data and plot in a spreadsheet.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Ensure volume is kept at a comfortable level to avoid hearing damage.  
  * Avoid using actual electrical equipment unless under supervision; use simulations for beginners.  
  * If using headphones or speakers, keep volume low when generating tones.




====Questions to Consider====
  * How does the oscilloscope display change when you clap versus when you hum? (Clapping produces short, irregular spikes; humming shows a repeating wave.)  
  * What does the distance between wave peaks represent? (It represents the period; the inverse is the frequency of the sound.)  
  * How does a louder sound appear on the screen? (The wave amplitude increases.)  
  * How does a higher-pitched sound appear compared to a lower-pitched one? (The frequency increases, so the waves appear closer together.)