Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Waves, Sound and Light: Longitudinal Pulse
The animation portrays a medium as a series of particles connected by springs. In this type of longitudinal wave the particles of the medium vibrate in a direction parallel to the direction of energy transport.
BBC
Bbc: Gcse Bitesize: Why Do Scientists Think That Light and Sound Are Waves?
Light travels as transverse waves and can travel through a vacuum. Sound travels as longitudinal waves and needs to travel through a solid, liquid or gas. Read about the properties of light and of sound, and learn the differences between...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Wave Interference
Conduct virtual experiments with water, sound, and light waves to determine the sine wave and patterns created in each.
Utah State Office of Education
Utah Science: Properties and Behaviors of Heat, Light and Sound
How can scientists lump heat, light and sound together when investigating properties and behaviors? This learning module will address that question through a series of activities.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: What Is a Wave?
This interactive activity adapted from the University of Utah's ASPIRE Lab provides an overview of the characteristics and properties of various types of waves, including light waves, sound waves, and water waves.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Properties of Waves
In this direct instruction lesson plan, students draw sketches in their science notebooks in order to make sense of wave properties. Resources include a slideshow presentation on the properties of waves and multiple examples of student...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Communicating With Light and Sound: Fire!
Sound the alarm! Fire alarms and fire trucks are perfect examples of communicating with light and sound. Students will begin to understand the engineering principles behind why fire alarms and fire engines use both light and sound to...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: How Does the Intensity of Light Change With Distance?
How far would you have to travel so that the light of the full sun would provide "daylight" no brighter than twilight on Earth? This project describes a method to verify the inverse square law: how light, sound, electrical signals, and...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Waves Performance Assessment Part 1
Students will use a variety of objects to participate in a partner activity and communicate using light and sound waves. Resources include a video, pictures and videos of the lesson in action, and examples of student work.
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: Mini Light Beam Receiver
A very simple device to convert light into sound can be made by wiring a solar cell directly to headphones (or an earpiece). The solar cell converts light into electricity and the headphones convert electricity into sound. The limitation...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Energy, Light and Sound: Sound
A video and a short quiz on how sound travels in waves, its properties, and how to measure it.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Waves Performance Assessment Part 2
Students will use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance. Resources included are videos of the instructional activity in action, a student...
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Wave Motion
Two wave graphs depicting a sine wave and relating the various characteristics (wavelength, amplitude, frequency, and period) of a wave to each other. The site includes an interactive JavaScript form in which the visitor enters one...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Energy, Light and Sound: Light
A video and a short quiz on the basic concepts and vocabulary for understanding light energy.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Waves: Waves and Wavelike Motion
Here is an introduction to the concept of waves and wavelike motion people experience anywhere and everywhere.
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: A Voice on a Sunbeam
Here is described a simple process to 'put a voice on a sunbeam' and transmit it over a distance. It is a fascinating example of amplitude modulation of light using sound vibrations. It then describes how the modulated light is detected...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Wave Speed Calculations
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students investigate and analyze characteristics of waves, including velocity, and calculate the relationship between wave speed, frequency, and wavelength.
NASA
Rxte Learning Center: Frequency, Wave Length, and Energy Activity
Resource focuses on the relationship between the frequency, wavelength and speed of light. Has a link to an interactive activity relating frequency, wavelength, and energy.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Light & Sound, Light Reflection Relay
In this exploration, students will investigate how light reflects off smooth surfaces, learn about angles of reflection, and apply that knowledge in a relay experiment.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Surf's Up!
This lesson introduces the concepts of longitudinal and transverse waves. Students see several demonstrations of waves and characterize them by transverse and longitudinal behavior. This lesson also introduces the Sunken Treasure theme...
Other
Architectural Acoustics and Lighting: Room Acoustics
This site from Architectural Acoustics and Lighting provides a discussion of various factors affecting the acoustics of a given room. Room dimensions, the wavelength of the sound wave, the physical characteristics of the walls, the...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: Live Exploration
Take a special trip to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra with GPB Education! This interactive virtual exploration offers students a behind-the-scenes experience as they learn about the science of sound and the preparation it takes to put on...
Utah State Office of Education
Utah State Office of Education: Force, Energy, & Motion
A unit on energy, force, and motion presented with interactive and classroom activities. Students gain an understanding of weight, mass, potential and kinetic energy, sound, and heat with this engaging resource.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Measuring Vibrational Frequency With Light
Strike a key on the piano, and you hear the string vibrating. Just about any object vibrates when it's knocked, but how much and how fast? This project helps you find out. You'll build a simple light-sensing circuit for measuring the...