View largerParts of a wave Diagram: Crest, Trough, Wavelength, amplitude
Naming the parts of a wave: crest, trough, wavelength and amplitude
1 page33 KB
Waves, Sound and Light Worksheets
Parts of a wave, amplitude and wavelength, how sound travels, how waves move objects, light and reflection, how we see and codes made of patterns.
Download the waves, sound and light worksheets
Parts of a wave
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View all 2 pagesLabel the parts of a wave worksheet
Labeling the parts of a wave
Answer key on page 2
2 pages46 KB
View all 2 pagesAmplitude and wavelength Worksheet: compare the waves
Comparing waves by amplitude and wavelength, and linking them to loudness and pitch
Answer key on page 2
2 pages91 KB
Sound and waves that move things
View all 2 pagesSound waves reading passage for 4th grade
Explaining that sound is made by vibrations and travels as waves
Answer key on page 2
2 pages80 KB
View all 2 pagesWaves can make objects move worksheet
Using a model of water waves to show that waves carry energy and can move objects
Answer key on page 2
2 pages54 KB
Light and how we see
View largerLight and reflection poster for 4th grade
Describing how light travels, reflects and lets us see
1 page56 KB
View all 2 pagesHow we See: light and the eye worksheet
Choosing the model that shows light reflecting from an object into the eye
Answer key on page 2
2 pages340 KB
View all 2 pagesLight reflection Worksheet: mirrors and angles
Using a model to show that light reflects off a mirror at the same angle it arrives
Answer key on page 2
2 pages40 KB
Patterns, words and review
View all 2 pagesMorse code Worksheet: send a message with patterns
Using a pattern code to send and decode information
Answer key on page 2
2 pages63 KB
View all 2 pagesWaves and light vocabulary worksheet
Using vocabulary about waves, sound and light in context
Answer key on page 2
2 pages38 KB
View all 2 pagesWaves, sound and light quiz for 4th grade
Reviewing waves, sound, light and information transfer
Answer key on page 2
2 pages42 KB
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About these waves, sound and light worksheets
Waves carry energy from place to place. Water waves, sound and light all travel as waves. Fourth graders learn the parts of a wave, see that a bigger amplitude means more energy and a shorter wavelength means waves closer together, and find out that we see things when light bounces off them into our eyes.
These waves, sound and light worksheets include a labeled parts of a wave diagram and a page to label, a compare-the-waves page, a sound waves passage and a model of a duck bobbing on a pond. The light pages cover what light does, how we see, and how a mirror reflects light at the same angle it arrives. A Morse code page shows how patterns carry information.
Every page is black and white, prints on US Letter or A4, and every page with right answers has an answer key on page 2.
Standards
NGSS 4-PS4-1Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move.NGSS 4-PS4-2Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen.NGSS 4-PS4-3Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
How to use them
- Make waves in a long rope or a tub of water before the parts of a wave page. Shake bigger (amplitude) and faster (shorter wavelength).
- Pluck a rubber band stretched over a box while reading the sound passage.
- Shine a flashlight at a mirror to check the reflection page.
- Send a short Morse message by flashing a flashlight or tapping on a desk.
Teaching tips
- A common mistake is to think our eyes send out light. The how-we-see page asks children to pick the model where light goes from the sun to the object and then into the eye.
- For sound: bigger amplitude means louder; shorter wavelength (more waves in the same space) means higher pitch.
- A wave carries energy, not the water itself. The duck bobs up and down but stays in about the same place.
- The reflection rule: the angle in equals the angle out, measured from a line straight up from the mirror.
Questions teachers and parents ask
What are the parts of a wave?
The crest is the highest point and the trough is the lowest. The wavelength is the distance from one crest to the next. The amplitude is how far the wave rises from its rest position.
How do we see objects?
Light from a source, like the sun or a lamp, bounces off an object and travels into our eyes. The eye senses the light and the brain makes a picture. Our eyes do not send out light.
What makes a sound louder or higher?
A bigger vibration makes a wave with a bigger amplitude and a louder sound. A faster vibration makes waves closer together (a shorter wavelength) and a higher pitch.
Why is Morse code on a waves page?
The 4th grade standards ask children to compare ways to send information with patterns. Morse code uses patterns of short and long signals sent with light or sound.