Wave Test Study Guide Activity Sheet
1.
Name: ________________________________
What instrument measures mass, temperature, force, and length?
Instrument
Unit
Mass
Triple-Beam Balance
Kilograms (kg) or Grams (g)
Temperature
Thermometer
Kelvin (K)
Force
Spring Scale
Newton (N)
Length
Meter Stick or Ruler
Meters (m)
2. Distinguish the difference between a constant variable and a control group. Give an example of each from the
scenario.
Scenario:
The effect of the amount of sunlight on plant growth. Each tomato plant gets the same amount
of water and fertilizer. There are 3 plants. The first plant is placed in the closet. The second plant is placed
outside, and the third plant is placed in the house by the window.
Constant or Control Variable: Is what remains the same throughout the experiment.
Control Group: The experiment with the independent variable left out. Recognized by the number zero (0).
Ex of Constant: Same amount of water and fertilizer
Ex of Control Group: The first plant placed in the closet.
3. Distinguish the difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable. Also pick out the
independent and dependent variable from the scenario in question2.
Independent variable: Independent variable is what’s being change or manipulated by the
experimenter/Amount of Sunlight
Dependent variable: Dependent variable responds to the independent variable/ Plant Growth
4. Create a graph that would illustrate where an independent and dependent variable would go.
5. Create a chart that would illustrate where an independent and dependent variable would go.
Independent Variable (Left)
Dependent Variable (Right)
6. Why is it important to conduct an experiment more than one time?
For Accuracy and to make sure that it is valid.
7. What is a wave and how are they created? A repeating vibration that transfers energy form place to place.
8. Waves transfer ___Energy__________ but not _____Matter________________.
9. What are the 2 categories of waves? Mechanical Waves and Electromagnetic Waves
10. What is the main difference between a mechanical and electromagnetic wave?
Mechanical waves travel through a medium and an Electromagnetic wave travels through empty space or a
vacuum.
11. Types of waves mechanical waves can be are either __Compressional/Longitudinal Waves_________________
or ____Transverse Waves________ whereas, electromagnetic waves are only _________Transverse Waves.
12. What is a medium? Create a chart of examples for a medium.
A medium is a material that waves travel through.
Medium
State of Matter
Sound Waves
Air
Gas
Ocean Waves
Water
Liquid
Seismic Waves
Earth Crust
Solid
13. Illustrate and label a mechanical transverse wave. Give examples.
Examples: Water Waves & Secondary Waves
Rest Position
14. Illustrate and label a mechanical compressional/longitudinal wave. Give examples.
Examples: Sound Waves, Primary Waves, and a Slinky
Wavelength
15. Illustrate and label an electromagnetic transverse wave. Give examples in order.
Examples of Electromagnetic waves in order:
Radio waves, Microwaves, Infrared Waves, Visible Light, Ultraviolet Rays, X-Ray, Gamma Rays
16. Name the four properties of waves. Wavelength, Amplitude, Speed, and Frequency
17. Illustrate and describe the relationship between frequency and wavelength. Higher Frequency= Shorter
Wavelengths/Lower Frequency =Longer Wavelengths
18. Name the four types of wave behaviors. Reflection, Refraction, Transmission, and Absorption
19. Explain the difference between absorption and transmission. Give one example of each.
Absorption: when energy is NOT transferred or reflected by/ Ex: Dark colors
Transmission: How waves pass through/light waves
20. Illustrate and explain the 3 categories of transmission.
Transparent: all light passes through
Translucent: Some light passes through
Opaque: No light passes through
21. Explain the difference between reflection and refraction. Give3 examples of each.
Reflection: Bouncing back of waves /Ex: echoes or plane mirrors/camera or water
Refraction: bending of waves/ Ex: magnifying glass/prism/pencil in water/glasses
22. Explain the difference between a mechanical and electromagnetic wave speeds as they travel.
Mechanical= has different speeds as they go through different mediums
Electromagnetic = speed stays the same as they go through empty space or a vacuum
23. As an ambulance travel down the road, explain what happens to the sound as the ambulance gets closer to you.
The sound gets louder and the frequency increases (waves are close together)
24. Illustrate how compressional waves would look from a tuning fork and each line represents what?
Each line represents energy
25. What category of waves are S waves and P waves? Mechanical
26. What type of waves are S waves and what types are P waves? S waves: Transverse & P Waves (Compressional
Waves)
27. Which part of the wave deals with height? Amplitude
28. What type of mirrors reflects the same real image back? Plane Mirror
29. Identify what type of wave each of the following are by placing an (E for Electromagnetic) or (M for Mechanical)
beside the waves.
a. Sound wave ___M
b. Ocean wave _____M
c. Radio wave _____ E
d. Seismic Wave _____M
e. Visible Light or Light _________E
f. Gamma Rays ______M
30. Identify what type of wave each of the following are by placing an (T for Transverse) or (C for Compressional)
beside the waves.
a. Sound wave ___ C
b. Ocean wave ____T_
c. Radio wave _____ T
d. Seismic Wave _____C (P-waves) or T (S-waves)_
e. Visible Light or Light _________T
f. Gamma Rays ______T
31. Classify each of the following as absorption, refraction, or reflection and explain why?
a. Laser Light through a Prism / Refraction because prisms bend light.
b. Seeing the Color Purple / Reflection because the color purple is being reflected.
32. Classify each of the following as absorption, refraction, or reflection and explain why?
a. Theater Curtains / absorption because it is absorbing the light and sound
b. Echoes /Reflection because sound bounces off the walls.
33. Illustrate and explain refraction and reflection.
Refraction is the bending of waves and reflection is the bouncing back of waves.
Refraction
Reflection
34. Illustrate and explain transparent, opaque, and translucent. See #20
35. Illustrate a transverse and a compressional wave. Label their parts. See #13 & 14
36. Create and label a sound compressional wave. Each line represents what? See #24
37. What is the pathway in which sound travels through the ear?
First Sound vibrates through the Outer Ear
(which contains the pinna that collects or
gather sound to the ear canal that transfers
the sound to the ear drum)
Secondly, the sound vibrates to the Middle
Ear (which contains the eardrum, and the 3
bones-hammer, anvil, and stirrup. They all
work together to amplify or increase the
sound.)
Lastly, the sound vibrates to the Inner Ear
(which contains the cochlea. The cochlea
contains tiny hairs and liquid for balance.
The sound enters the cochlea and vibrates the
tiny hairs. The tiny hairs turn the sound into
signals and send them to the Auditory Nerve.
The Auditory Nerve sends the signal to the
Brain and the brain interprets it as sound.)
38. What is the pathway that light travels through the eye?
Light travels through the eye as follows
1. 1st Step: Cornea, which is the
transparent layer, that allows light to
enter the eye as it bends and refracts
it.
2. 2nd Step: Iris, which is just the color
of the eye.
3. 3rd Step: Pupil, which is known as the
hole or the opening of the eye. It
controls how much light enters the
eye.
4. 4th Step: Lens, which is a convex lens
and it is responsible for refracting and
focusing light as it enters the eye.
5. 5th Step: Retina is responsible for
turning light into electricity and
producing nerve impulses.
6. 6th Step: Optic Nerve is responsible
for sending electric signals to the
brain.
7. 7th Step: The Brain interprets the
signals as sight.
39. What has to occur in order for you to hear? (Hint: think about what a wave is) Vibrations
40. What is the relationship between wavelengths and frequency? (Illustrate it) See #17
41. What is the relationship between frequency and pitch? (Illustrate it) Higher Frequency =Higher
Pitch/Lower Frequency = Lower Pitch
42. What is the relationship between wavelengths and pitch? (Illustrate it) Shorter Wavelengths= High
Pitch/ Long Wavelengths = Low pitch
Note: For illustrations see picture in #41
43. What is the difference between electromagnetic waves and mechanical waves?
Electromagnetic waves travel through empty space or a vacuum.
Mechanical Waves travel through a medium.
44. What is a medium? A medium is the material waves travel through. What is the medium for the
following items: sound waves, seismic waves, and ocean waves? See #12
45. Illustrate the electromagnetic spectrum. Also draw arrows to illustrate frequency (high/low),
energy(less/more), and, wavelengths(longer/shorter)
Low Energy
Low Frequency
Longer Wavelengths
High Energy
High Frequency
Shorter Wavelengths
Note: The Electromagnetic spectrum can also be shown with the gamma rays going first.
High Energy
High Frequency
Shorter Wavelengths
Low Energy
Low Frequency
Longer Wavelengths
46. What is the only example of electromagnetic waves you can see? Visible Light
47. Which is the example of waves that deals with color? Visible Light
48. Give 3 examples of the following terms: Refraction, Reflection, and Absorption
Refraction: Prism, Convex Lenses, A Pencil in Water, and Magnifying Glass or anything that
magnifies
Reflection: Plane Mirror, Seeing a color, Echoes, and a ball bouncing off a wall
Absorption: The color Black, Theater Curtains, (For a red apple, all colors are being absorbed
except red.)
49. Name the electromagnetic waves in order from high frequency to low frequency?
Gamma Rays, X-Rays, Ultraviolet Rays, Visible Light, Infrared Rays, Microwaves, & Radio Waves
50. What type of waves are electromagnetic waves? Transverse Waves
51. What are the two types of Mechanical waves and how do they differ as far as movement? (Describe
their movement)
Transverse Waves
Mechanical waves in which the particles of
matter in the medium vibrate by moving back
and forth and perpendicular (at right angles) to
the direction the wave travels
Compressional/Longitudinal Waves
Mechanical waves in which the particles of
matter in the medium vibrate by pushing
together and moving apart parallel to the
direction in which the wave travels
(Moves Up and Down)
(Moves back and forth/side to side)
52. What is the difference between reflection and refraction? Give an example of each. See #21
53. Illustrate and label a Mechanical, Transverse wave. See # 13
54. Which part of the wave deals with the height? Amplitude
55. Illustrate a complete wavelength. Note (This question should have been as follows: Illustrate a
complete wave cycle.) One Complete Wave Cycle
56. Illustrate high frequency vs. low frequency.
57. Explain what happens if an object reflects all of the colors. The color WHITE appears
58. Explain what happens if an object absorbs all the colors. The color Black appears
59. A prism is an example of what type of wave behavior. Explain why? Refraction because it bends
white light to create the rainbow of colors.
60. In order for a person to see a red apple, what has to happen? The color RED will be
REFLECTED.
61. Read the following and explain what the function of a retina and cornea. Light rays enter the eye
through the cornea, the clear front "window" of the eye. The cornea's refractive power bends or
refracts the light rays in such a way that they pass freely through the pupil, black the sizechanging hole in the iris, the colored part of the eye. In a normal eye, the light rays come to a
sharp focusing point on the retina. The retina's functions much like the film in a camera. The Retina
responsible for capturing all of the light rays, processing them into light or nerve impulses
through millions of tiny nerve endings, then sending these light impulses through over a million
nerve fibers to the optic nerve.
62. Explain what happens when white light lands on something black vs. something white. When white
light lands on something black, the light will be absorbed. When the white light lands on something
white, then it would be reflected.
63. Read the following and explain the function of the following: pinna, eardrum, middle, ear, and
cochlea. (19, 24, & 25) The fleshy part of ear, the pinna, collects the sound. The sound wave then
travels through the auditory or ear canal which funnels the sound to the ear drum causing it to
vibrate. The ear drum then amplifies or increases the sound by vibration of bones. It is in the
middle ear where sound energy is converted into mechanical energy. The primary function of
the middle ear is to efficiently transfer acoustic energy from compression waves in air to fluid–
membrane waves within the cochlea, mainly carrying sound waves from the eardrum to the
inner ear. The brain then interprets the impulses as sound.
64. Name 4 tools you can use to study waves. Prisms, Convex lenses, Magnifying glass, Tuning Forks,
Spectroscopes, Magnifiers, Slinky or Slinky spring, Plane Mirrors, and Color Filters.