Ruben's Tube Detailed Plan/Proposal Estimated time required: 2 hours Aim: Allows students to apply engineering skills and

practice doing hands-on activities. Allows students to visualize standing waves extremely clear, and also gain a deeper understanding about the nature of waves and sound waves. Theory: Difference in pressure due to the compression and rarefactions caused by the sound wave will affect the speed which the gas flows out of the holes. The greater the pressure, the faster the gas will flow out of the holes, resulting in a bigger flame. As for standing waves, the sound waves will reflect off the seal ends of the tube which is sealed and interfere with the wave being generated at the other end. If the wavelength and length of the tube are suitable, they will interfere constructively with each other, forming standing waves, which can be easily visualized. Example of Ruben's Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpCquUWqaYw The Ruben's Tube can be a great piece of apparatus owned by the Science Lab, if we can construct it perfectly. :) Many people on the Internet have done it before and we think we can do this. At this station, each team will construct a miniature Ruben's tube. After every team is finished, everyone will work together to construct a larger version which can be used for demonstrations/or is more spectacular. Students' version of the Ruben's Tube: Materials: 1m long metal tube of 5cm - 10cm diameter, with one end completely sealed (can be ordered from hardware shop) One Electric Drill 10 Nails 1 Metre Ruler Pencils 1 Speaker 1 Mylar Cap 1 Hose Clamp 1 Small Propane Canister (Or some other way of delivering flammable gas - ideally propane. This can be discussed with lab technicians) 1 Laptop with Audacity installed Method: 1. Mark out places to drill holes on the pipe. (preferably 1-2cm apart from each other) 2. Drill the holes with an electric drill. 3. Cover the other end of the tube with Mylar Cap and secure with a hose clamp. 4. Drill a hole of a suitable size at the covered end and insert hose barb and secure the hose. 5. Check the setup for any glaring errors. 6. Ask the Lab Technician/Teacher and Seniors to inspect the setup

7. After the setup has passed QC, students may ask the Lab Technician/Teacher politely to light the tube. 8. The Ruben's tube should only be lighted after some time, such that the entire tube only consists of the flammable gas (and no oxygen). 9. Using a fireplace lighter with an extended neck, the Ruben's tube can be lighted by the Lab Technician or Teacher. 10. Students get to play around with the frequency of the sound produced/using Audacity or play other music. This procedure is adapted from the following sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhmKc1U5jjA http://www.che.utah.edu/community_and_outreach/modules/module.php?p_id=1 http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-Rubens-Tube/?ALLSTEPS Students will have to complete a worksheet and complete certain tasks such as measure wavelengths of a certain sound using the Ruben's tube, as well as the theory behind the tube. Teams will be judged on: Engineering Ability/Skills (max mark 50) Safety Awareness (max mark 50) -10 mark for each failed QC -100 mark for any safety violation. Science Club version of the Ruben's Tube: Materials: 5m long metal tube of 10-15cm diameter with one end completely sealed. One Electric Drill 10 Nails 1 Metre Ruler Pencils 1 Speaker 1 Mylar Cap 1 Hose Clamp 1 Large Propane Canister 1 Laptop with Audacity installed The tube will be constructed through the same procedure as the smaller version. Extremely stringent checks will be conducted on the tube before propane is passed into it and lighted. Activities to be done with the tube: 1. Explain the theory behind the tube. 2. Explain the solutions to the answers in the worksheet. 3. Play Gangnam Style by PSY and Friday by Rebecca Black (or any other 2 songs requested by the EXCO/Teachers) on the Ruben's tube. 4. Each team will request 2 songs to be played, and the EXCO will choose one song, and the Teachers/Lab Technicians will choose another. The teams whose songs are chosen will be awarded 30 points for each song. 5. Other sensible requests from members/teachers.

Safety Precautions: As the Ruben's Tube requires a flammable gas to be passed through and metal tube and light on the exterior, the setup can be quite dangerous if done without supervision and safety measures. The following safety precautions will be in place when this activity is being carried out: 1. Students will not light the Ruben's tube without the permission of the Lab Technicians/Teachers. 2. There will be fire extinguishers in place in case anything goes wrong. 3. Students will not play with the propane canisters. 4. The Ruben's tube constructed will be checked thoroughly for any faults before it is allowed to be lit. 5. Students must not go near the Ruben's tube once it is lit. 6. No horseplay