Name: ________________________
Waves Online Lab
Find the links for this online lab using the links on Schoology OR by Google searching them!
1. Piano Activity: Sound Waves
http://www.physics-chemistry-interactive-flash-animation.com/electricity_electromagnetism_interactive/oscilloscope_description_tutorial_sounds_frequency.htm
Click on "Sine," Adjust V/div to "2," and ms/div to "2." Go ahead and play different notes, listening to their tone/pitch. Answer the
questions below about what happens as you play higher (right side) or lower notes (left side)
1. What happens to the frequency of the wave when you play higher notes on the keyboard?
2. What happens to the wavelength of the wave when you play higher notes on the keyboard?
3. What is the relationship between wavelength and frequency? Inversely OR directly proportional*? (CIRCLE one)
4. What is the relationship between sound pitch and frequency? Inversely/directly proportional*? (CIRCLE)
5. How do you increase the amplitude of sound waves?
6. Through what types of medium do sound waves travel?
*Inversely Proportional = when one variable goes up, the other goes down.
*Directly Proportional = when one variable goes up, the other goes up too.
2. Electromagnetic Spectrum:
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/eoc/special_topics/teach/sp_climate_change/p_emspectrum_interactive.html
Answer the questions below by moving the tab and reading about the different types of waves.
7. Write out the following 7 types of electromagnetic waves in order from most to least amount of energy!
Infrared
microwave
X-Ray
gamma ray
ultraviolet
1- (Most) ____________________
5- __________________________
2- __________________________
6- __________________________
3- __________________________
7- (Least) ____________________
visible light
4- __________________________
8. Which color has the lowest frequency (and lowest energy)? _______________________
9. What is the speed of all electromagnetic waves? (not on the webpage- take from what we've learned so far)
radio
10. Which has a longer wavelength - visible or infrared radiation? (CIRCLE ONE)
11. Which has a higher frequency - visible or infrared radiation? (CIRCLE ONE)
12. Which contains more energy - visible or infrared radiation? (CIRCLE ONE)
Wave Type Questions – Applied
13. How are radio waves used for weather forecasting? ____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. How is infrared radiation used? ____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. How is ultraviolet light harmful to people and animals? What blocks UV light? ______________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
16. What are Gamma-Rays used for? ___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Wave On a String: phET Colorado: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/wave-on-a-string/latest/wave-on-astring_en.html

Adjust to Oscillate in the top left corner.
17. What happens to the frequency when you raise the amplitude? ____________________________________
18. Look carefully at the movement of the wave in slow motion. What happens to the speed of the wave when you raise
the amplitude? _______________________________________________

Click on the "rulers" box in the bottom right hand corner:
18. When you decrease the frequency of the wave, what happens to the wavelength? ________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
19. Change to pulse. Click on the pulse box. Does the particle (green dot) move in the same direction as the wave is
moving? Describe how the direction of the motion of the wave compares to the direction of the motion of the particle in
this simulation. ________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
20. Is this a transverse or longitudinal wave? ____________________________________________
21. Ask one question related to waves, wave motion, frequency, pitch, speed, etc. and go back through to one of the
simulations and answer the question through research or experimentation using the models.