Ultrasonic experiments 8: Distance measurement with an ardunio

I have developed a series of experiments with ultrasound waves that can be done by students in upper-level physics lessons. The experiments will be presented in arbitrary order in the future.

These experiments include:
1: reflection and absorption of ultrasonic waves
2: standing waves
3: interference with two transmitters
4: the double-slit experiment
5: the effect of a semipermeable plate
6: the Michelson interferometer
7: the Mach-Zehnder interferometer
8: the distance measurement with an Arduino

COMPONENTS

mount_for_arduino_lcd_hc_sr04: All parts together on one mount: the arduino, the LCD with I2C, the hc-sr04 ultrasonic module and the 9 volt battery. Support is not necessary.

base: For this part i used the excellent work of jandetlefsen and his thing http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1412135. I could not find anything more suitable nor could I develop something better myself. Support is not necessary.

nut M3: a generic nut for M3 for the 20x20 aluminium profile system: For this experiment you will need two of them.

mount for the reflection plate: Suitable for aluminum plates with a thickness of 2mm. Support is necessary.

pointer: A small but useful tool if you want to measure very accurately. The pointer is simply clicked on the holder for the reflection plate.

Things you need more

Aluminium profile : for this experiment i recommend a 100cm long profile

Screws and nuts: a handful of M2, M2.5 and M3 screws and nuts for mounting the arduino and the other modules. Some M5 screws and nuts for the bases.

Aluminium plates: i recommend a plate of 200mm x 200mm with a thickness of 2mm.

Arduino program: I have made the program available for download. I hope the comments in the program are sufficient for your understanding.

Results of the experiment

The experiment shows that this device can measure distances between 3cm and 100cm relatively accurately. For the students it is the task to determine the error quotient of the device. Gifted students can also change the program to reduce the error.