Most of the optics experiments done in beginning or advanced labs have ultrasonic analogs which can
be used to demonstrate much of what can be done in the optics labs. These analogs can be used as a
substitute for the corresponding optics experiments or in conjunction with them. And the ultrasonic
experiments can be used to demonstrate several phenomena of wave propagation that are difficult to
do with optics. For example, experiments can be done to observe the effects in the time domain of
pulse excitation, something which is rarely done in optics, and the results used to expand student
understanding of optics. The methods of several of these experiments are the subject of this paper,
and comparisons will be made with what can be demonstrated with the corresponding optics
experiments.