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.

Eighth graders develop ideas related to how sounds are produced, how they travel through media, and how they affect objects at a distance.

Manipulate this virtual slinky that consists of a collection of dots to represent its coils. Grab a coil, and shake it back and forth to create vibrations which travel through the slinky from the location where it is shook to the ends...

Review of how to produce beats through the constructive and destructive interference of sound waves.

Use this interactive physics tutorial to introduce students to the concepts of pitch and frequency in sound waves.

The physics tutorial illustrates and explains the distinction between transverse and longitudinal waves. Related links provided.

Students investigate the formation of standing waves, the vibrational patterns associated with the various harmonics, and the difference between transverse and longitudinal standing waves.

With videos, illustrated diagrams, and informational text, students learn about sound waves as forced vibrations.

A video and a short quiz on how sound travels in waves, its properties, and how to measure it.

Through animations, videos, and text, students discover that all objects have a natural frequency or set of frequencies at which they vibrate.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Definition of sound, what sound waves are, how they are generated and what media they can travel through.

Students can investigate with this realistic, richly-interactive environment for investigating the periodic motion of a mass on a spring.

In this investigation the student will learn about sound waves and vibration. Students will use pipes to understand that the slower an object vibrates the lower the pitch and the faster an object vibrates the higher the pitch. Next...

Illustrated diagrams and interactive practice problems show constructive and destructive interference occurring at sound beats.

Students discover how vibrations produce sound by making this sound sandwich out of everyday materials. Lesson plans include three videos that give an introduction, step-by-step demonstration, and an explanation of the science behind the...

A reference page including content and animations on longitudinal waves. Understand how sound waves are produced from vibrations in guitar strings to produce longitudinal waves.

An experiment that explores the relationship between vibrations and pitch. This site includes web links, a challenge question, and notes to the teacher.

A physics lesson where students investigate how sound can be produced and changed. Students identify vibrations as the source of sound and how it can be amplified and received, and then explore the use of a slinky to explain the nature...

Science instruction is most effective when using a hands-on delivery system. This instructional activity will use your learners' natural affinity for music and musical instruments to reinforce and refine their knowledge of the nature of...

An inquiry lesson where students explore pitch and the rate of vibration. Students will look at how the rate of vibration which creates pitch is affected by the size of the object studied.

Students begin to explore the relationship between the length of an object and the sound it produces as it vibrates, by using a wood or plastic ruler and the edge of a desk or table.

Read about a math research project done by three college students which helps us see physics and math in music. Here's a great approach for integrating curriculum!

For this activity, students make a sound cylinder using a cardboard tube, and investigate the sound wave vibrations they can feel at its end when they speak into it.

Discover the connection between sound waves and hearing with this webpage tutorial. Be sure to click on the picture for detailed information.