Classroom Resource

Wave Traits | NASA Online

Subject Area

Science

Grade(s)

4, 8

Overview

A wave is energy in motion or energy moving from point to point. To describe the traits of a wave, there are a few terms you need to know.

Students will choose a term in the activity to display its description in the diagram.

Science (2015) Grade(s): 4

SC15.4.6

Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength, and including that waves can cause objects to move.

Unpacked Content

UP:SC15.4.6

Vocabulary

  • Patterns
  • Propagated
  • Waves
  • Wave amplitude
  • Wavelength
  • Net motion
  • Model
  • Relevant components
  • Peaks

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Waves can be described in terms of patterns of repeating amplitude and wavelength (e.g., in a water wave there is a repeating pattern of water being higher and then lower than the baseline level of the water).
  • Waves can cause an object to move.
  • The motion of objects varies with the amplitude and wavelength of the wave carrying it.
  • The patterns in the relationships between a wave passing, the net motion of the wave, and the motion of an object caused by the wave as it passes.
  • How waves may be initiated (e.g., by disturbing surface water or shaking a rope or spring).
  • The repeating pattern produced as a wave is propagated.
  • Waves, which are the regular patterns of motion, can be made in water by disturbing the surface. When waves move across the surface of deep water, the water goes up and down in place; there is no net motion in the direction of the wave except when the water meets a beach.
  • Waves of the same type can differ in amplitude (height of the wave) and wavelength (spacing between wave peaks).

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Develop a model to make sense of wave patterns that includes relevant components (i.e., waves, wave amplitude, wavelength, and motion of objects).
  • Describe patterns of wavelengths and amplitudes.
  • Describe how waves can cause objects to move.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There are similarities and differences in patterns underlying waves and use these patterns to describe simple relationships involving wave amplitude, wavelength, and the motion of an object.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns
Science (2015) Grade(s): 8

SC15.8.17

Create and manipulate a model of a simple wave to predict and describe the relationships between wave properties (e.g., frequency, amplitude, wavelength) and energy.

Unpacked Content

UP:SC15.8.17

Vocabulary

  • Manipulate
  • Model
  • Wave
  • Simple wave
  • Predict
  • Wave properties (e.g., frequency, amplitude, wavelength)
  • Energy
  • Analyze
  • Interpret
  • Illustrate
  • Electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves, visible light, microwaves, infrared light, ultraviolet light, X-rays and gamma-rays.
  • Electromagnetic radiation
  • Photons
  • Hertz
  • Volts
  • Joules
  • Displacement

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Waves represent repeating quantities.
  • A simple wave has a repeating pattern with a specific wavelength, frequency, and amplitude.
  • The frequency of a wave is the number of waves passing a point in a certain time. The unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz) and one hertz is equal to one wave per second.
  • Amplitude is the maximum displacement of the wave pattern from equilibrium.
  • Wavelength is the distance between consecutive wave crests or troughs.
  • The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation. Radiation is energy that travels and spreads out as it travels.
  • The types of electromagnetic radiation that make up the electromagnetic spectrum are radio waves, visible light, microwaves, infrared light, ultraviolet light, X-rays and gamma-rays.
  • Electromagnetic radiation can be described in terms of a stream of mass-less particles, called photons, each traveling in a wave-like pattern at the speed of light. Each photon contains a certain amount of energy. The different types of radiation are defined by the amount of energy found in the photons. Radio waves have photons with low energies, microwave photons have a little more energy than radio waves, infrared photons have still more, then visible, ultraviolet, X-rays, and, the most energetic of all, gamma-rays.
  • Electromagnetic radiation can be expressed in terms of energy, wavelength, or frequency. Frequency is measured in cycles per second, or Hertz. Wavelength is measured in meters. Energy is measured in electron volts or Joules.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Develop a model of a simple wave and identify the relevant components.
  • Describe the relationships between components of the model.
  • Use patterns observed from their model to provide causal accounts for events and make predictions for events by constructing explanations.
  • Organize given data to allow for analysis and interpretation of the electromagnetic spectrum.
  • Analyze the data to identify possible causal relationships between waves and their positions in the electromagnetic spectrum.
  • Interpret patterns observed from the data to provide causal accounts for events and make predictions for events by constructing explanations.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Relationships exist between wave properties (e.g., frequency, amplitude, wavelength) and energy.
  • These relationships can be predicted and described with models of simple waves.*The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation.
  • Electromagnetic radiation can be expressed in terms of energy, wavelength, or frequency and the types of radiation are arranged in the spectrum based on the measure of their energy, wavelength, and/or frequency.
  • The types of electromagnetic radiation that make up the electromagnetic spectrum are radio waves, visible light, microwaves, infrared light, ultraviolet light, X-rays and gamma-rays.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models; Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns; Systems and System Models
Link to Resource
https://www.knowitall.org/interactive/wave-traits-nasa-online

CR Resource Type

Interactive/Game

Resource Provider

KnowItAll.org
Accessibility
License

License Type

Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives

Comments or Notes

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Approved Date

scarver17
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