Student Weekly Work Template Week (circle one): 2

Content: Science Grade: 6

Standards:

1. 6.ms-ps4-1

2. 6.ms-ps4-2

3. 6.ms-ps4-3

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to determine main idea and supporting details of sound waves

using a reading

2. Students will be able to answer text based questions and diagnose parts of a wave

3. Students will be able to explain the relationship between energy and amplitude

Topic/Theme: Waves

Concept: Properties and Concepts of Waves

Brief Introduction:

Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

Activities or Tasks

1. Sounds Waves Reading

2. Waves Review Reading

3. Open Response Energy and Amplitude

Online Resource(s)

1. Qrgo.page.link/Uhzn6 OR use QR Code

Sound Waves Reading

What is Sound? Sound is energy that travels in waves through a medium such as water or air. Sound happens when

something disturbs or pushes particles (molecules) in the medium. This “disturbance” or energy continues to be passed

along from particle to particle in the medium, sent out in all directions, similar to ripples on a pond’s surface after tossing

in a small rock.

Sound waves transport energy by pushing molecules into each other, squeezing or compressing them together

for an instant. The wave of compression passes the molecules and returns to their resting position or “equilibrium.” This

wave of compression continues moving away from the source of the sound in all directions. As it passes, the molecules

move back and forth (from compression to equilibrium) but only the energy travels through the medium, not the matter

in the medium.

There are four ways in which the effect of sound wave interactions can be demonstrated: reflection, absorption,

transmission and diffraction. Read the following sections about each to get a better understanding of the ways sound

can be observed in the world!

Reflection

When sound reflects off an area, it will bounce out in a straight line no matter where it originally hits. Many

performance stages are designed like this so the sound will go directly into the audience, instead of bouncing around on

stage. The next time you are in a performance hall, look around and you will notice this.

Reflection is responsible for many interesting phenomena. Echoes are the sound of your own voice reflecting

back to your ears. The sound you hear ringing in an auditorium after the band has stopped playing is caused by

reflection off the walls and other objects. A sound wave will continue to bounce around a room, or reverberate, until it

has lost all its energy. A wave has some of its energy absorbed by the objects it hits. The remaining energy is reflected

until it is all lost.

Sound Absorption

Sound is absorbed by its surroundings. Everything, even air, absorbs sound. One example of air absorbing sound

waves happens during a thunderstorm. When you are very close to a storm, you hear thunder as a sharp crack. When

the storm is farther away, you hear a low rumble instead. This is because air absorbs high frequencies more easily than

low. By the time the thunder has reached you, all the high pitches are lost and only the low ones can be heard. (Think:

what does this tell you about which types of frequencies last longest…) The best absorptive material is full of holes that

sound waves can bounce around in and lose energy. The energy lost as heat is too small to be felt, though, it can be

detected by scientific instruments.

Sound Transmission

The vibration of an object, a source of sound, causes waves to be transmitted through air (usually) to our ears. It

is the vibration of air molecules that ultimately lead to the sensation of hearing. While we usually consider sound waves

in air, they can be passed through any medium. Sound can be transmitted through solids, liquids, and gases (like air). In

order to understand how the ears and brain process sound information, we need to know something about what a

sound is and how it is produced.

Air particles are in constant random motion, creating very small amounts of pressure around our surrounding

environments. The next time you are in a quiet room, notice the faint sound of these air particles.

Air particles themselves do not move very far, they simply transfer energy by what is referred to as a sound. This

represents what we call a 'sound wave' which moves away from the sound source at a speed and direction determined

by the medium. Sound travels best through solids, then liquids and gases.

Sound Diffraction

Sound waves leave a medium travelling in a certain direction, but change direction as they move on. Just like

our voices carry and can be heard outside of a room, all sounds behave this way. This is called diffraction. Diffraction is

the change in direction of a wave that has moved around the edge of an object or through its opening. Think of

diffraction of sound like the students of this school walking through the hallways. Occasionally, there is something in

the way that you must move around, like a beam, a table, even a Vice Principal! In each of these examples, you must

change your direction and move out of the way. Sound particles do the same thing you would do: they find an open

space and move into it!

Group Reading-Sound Waves

Write the names of your group members next to each

person’s role:

Reflection: ____________________________

Absorption: ____________________________

Transmission: __________________________

Diffraction: ____________________________

Roles Read your part of the reading about wave interactions. Answer

the questions below for your part of the reading.

1) How do sound waves behave in your type of wave

interactions?

2) What are two examples of sound waves behaving in your type

of wave interactions?

Example: “What is Sound”

1) Sound Waves can behave as reflections, absorptions, transmissions and diffractions.

2) Sound happens when something disturbs or pushes particles in the medium. Sound waves transport energy by pushing molecules into each other, squeezing or compressing them together for an instant.

Reflection

1)

2)

Absorption

1)

2)

Transmission

1)

2)

Diffraction

1)

2)

Waves Review: Key Facts about Sound vs Light Waves

Sound and Light waves can both be reflected, transmitted, and absorbed. When waves are reflected,

no matter if they are sound or light, their energy bounces back. In sound, this is observed as an echo whereas

in light it is observed as evidence of light on an object.

When waves are transmitted, it means they travel through a material. Sound waves are better

transmitted through solid materials than through gases(like air). Liquid materials transmit sound waves better

than gases, but not as well as solids. Think about how this is true based on your station activities using solid,

liquid, and gas materials when making sounds. Light waves can also travel through solids, liquids, and gases,

but this is based more on the quality of the object; whether it is opaque, translucent, or transparent. Opaque

objects do not allow any light to be transmitted. Translucent objects allow some light. Transparent objects

allow most, if not all light, to be transmitted.

When sound and light waves are absorbed, they lose their energy. For sound, this is evident in a lesser

volume of the noise. For light, the energy is changed into heat energy and taken over by the object that has

absorbed it.

The biggest difference between sound and light waves is that sound waves require a medium, or

material to carry the wave, and light waves do not. As a result, sound waves cannot be observed without a

medium, but light waves can. Think about outer space. There is nothing, no material, out there. But we can

still see the light.

Another small difference between sound and light waves is that light waves can be refracted, or bent,

based on their interaction with types of matter (usually curved matter). Sound waves can be manipulated,

too, but we are not going into detail about that.

Answer the following “Key Fact Questions” based on this information.

1. In what three ways are sound and light waves similar?

____________________________________________________________________________

2. What type of material are sound waves best transmitted through?

____________________________________________________________________________

3. What changes in a sound wave when it’s energy begins to be absorbed?

_____________________________________________________________________________

4. What changes in a light wave when it’s energy begins to be absorbed?

_____________________________________________________________________________

5. What is the biggest difference between light and sound waves?

_____________________________________________________________________________

Part 2: Match the correct letter to each word below. Use each letter only once.

• Crest: __________

• Trough: ________

• Wavelength: ________

• Amplitude: ___________

• Rest Position: _________

Part 3: Cause and Effect of Amplitude and Energy

1. If energy is added to a wave what happens to the amplitude?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

2. If energy is taken away from a wave what happens to the amplitude?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

E

D

C

A

B

D

Name: Date: Period:

MCAS Open Response: Energy and Amplitude

Use the image below to complete the MCAS open response question. Be

sure to rewrite the question in sentence form.

WAVE 1 WAVE 2

a. Identify which wave above has the higher amplitude.

b. Identify which wave above has more energy.

c. Explain the relationship between energy and amplitude.

Identify = indicate, point out Explain = describe in detail

ANSWER IN SPACE PROVIDED ON BACK!

Score = 0 1 2 3 4

ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES! REWORD THE QUESTION AND INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR ANSWER!

a. ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________.

b. ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________.

c. ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________.

ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES! REWORD THE QUESTION AND INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR ANSWER

a. The wave that has the higher amplitude is

________________________________.

b. The wave that has more energy is _________________________.

c. The relationship between amplitude and energy is

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________.