Acoustic Standing Waves: A Battle between Models

Science labs should promote reasoning that resembles the work that scientists do. However, this is often not the case. We present a lab in which students strive to find out which of two models best describes a physics experiment. The quantification of measurement uncertainties--another topic that is often neglected in high school curricula--determines the quality of the data, and will play a central role in the final decision between these models and is a vital skill in the modern world.