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===== Scalar Plane Waves: Instructor's Guide =====

==== Main Ideas ====

  * Representations of plane waves


==== Students' Task ====
//Estimated Time: //
  * Students use a Mathematica or Maple worksheet to visualize scalar plane waves by selecting a wave vector, $\vec{k}$.

==== Prerequisite Knowledge ====
==== Props/Equipment ====

  * [[:Props:start#maple|Computers with Maple]]  

==== Activity: Introduction ====
==== Activity: Student Conversations ====
==== Activity: Wrap-up ====
==== Extensions ====

This activity is part of a sequence of activities addressing [[whitepapers:sequences:planewaves|Plane Waves]] and their representations in physics. Other activities included in this sequence are as follow:

  * Preceding activities:
    * [[swbq:vcsw:vfswdotdef|Recall the Dot Product]]: This small whiteboard question prompts students to recall something they recall regarding the dot product which reminds students of the different ways in which the dot product can be represented. 
    * [[courses:activities:emact:emplanewave|Visualizing Plane Waves]]: In this small group activity, students calculate $\vec{k}\cdot\vec{r}$ for a given $\vec{k}$ for each point on a grid and then connect points with constant value of $\vec{k}\cdot\vec{r}$ and then has students connecting the algebraic expression of a plane wave with its geometric content, allowing students to visualize what is planar about plane waves. 

  * Follow-up activities:
    * [[courses:activities:emact:emplanewaveem|Visualizing Electromagnetic Plane Waves]]: This Mathematica (or Maple) activity is designed to allow students to visualize electromagnetic plane waves by choosing a $\vec{k}$ and exploring the electric and magnetic field vectors of a given plane wave.
    * [[courses:activities:emact:emplanewavecompare|Comparing Representations of Plane Waves]]: This activity can be used as a homework problem or as a small group activity where students analyze multiple representations of plane waves, noting which features are present and which are ignored in each representation.