I can… Statements: Ch. 25, 26, and 27
Waves and Wave Motion
Student Goal: to understand that the motion of the medium through which a wave or
pulse travels may be up and down, back and forth, or some combinations of these
motions.
- understand that waves can be produced by a vibrating object.
- understand that waves travel in predictable patterns.
- understand that waves can usually be classified as either transverse or
longitudinal.
Wave Characteristics
Student Goals: to understand that the frequency of a wave can be measured by
counting the number of peaks of a wave that pass by in a certain amount of time.
- understand that the wavelength of a wave is the distance between successive
peaks.
- understand that as the frequency increases, the wavelength decreases.
o In general, the frequency does not determine the speed or the amplitude of
a wave.
- understand that changes in the frequency of sound correspond to changes in the
pitch.
- understand that an increase in frequency corresponds to more energy per unit f
time carried by the wave.
- understand that the greater the amplitude, the more energy in the wave.
Wave Speed
Student Goals: to understand that all waves have a particular speed in a particular
medium; and can correctly determine the speed of the wave by calculating the ratio of
the distance that a wave travels by the time it takes to travel that distance.
- understand that the speed of sound is generally faster through solids and liquids
than through gases.
- understand that light slows as it moves into more dense materials.
- understand that in air, sound travels much slower than light.
o The difference between the time one sees and event and the time one hears
the event is evidence that sound travels slower.
Wave interference
Student Goals: to understand that, during a collision between two waves or pulses,
they will interfere either constructively or destructively with each other.
- understand that after the collision, each wave or pulse will continue traveling with
the same speed, direction, and amplitude it had prior to the collision.
Sound vs. Light
Student Goals: to understand that sound and light are examples of two different
waves.
- understand sound requires a medium for transmission, light does not.
- understand that sound waves are longitudinal or compression waves; light is
usually depicted as a transverse wave.