The sound waves of thunder are made when lightning very quickly heats the air surrounding it, expanding faster than the speed of sound. Learners explore waves through their own movement of string or set waves to constantly oscillate....

Ocean lovers hang ten as they watch this film about waves and currents. What causes waves? What is a current? Learn this and more from Sam as he explains why RJ was struggling to surf the gnarly waves. Have your class watch this at home...

Why did the waves get into a fight? They were tired of each other's interference. Scholars observe the wave patterns from dripping water, sound waves, and light waves. They vary the spacing, build barriers, and increase the number...

What can your class tell about a wave just by looking at it? Using a simulation, physics pupils work through a series of case studies to determine the effects of speed, frequency, and density on waves. Part of a larger playlist on waves...

Do radio waves create light? It's more difficult to understand the things we can't see than those that we can. The simulation compares the relatively small range of visible light to the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It graphs the size...

Surf's up! What causes the constant motion of Earth's oceans? Scholars discover the origins and types of waves in part nine of a 13-installment series. The resource illustrates wave behavior, their destructive power, and current research...

Three main factors determine the wave height experienced in the ocean. Scholars use a virtual simulator to alter wind speed, fetch, and duration. Each combination creates a unique wave measured in significant height.

If you are at a sports match and the crowd starts two waves that are both headed toward you at the same time, what do you do? The simulation applies the concepts of constructive interference and destructive interference to that very...

Listen in as Mia and Sam expound on sound. It is caused by vibrations and travels in waves. It has the qualities of pitch, frequency, and volume. This hip animation displays a graph to depict the frequency and amplitude of sound waves....

Physics class sure can have its ups and downs! The first in a series of seven interactives from the Waves and Sound series introduces young learners to the concept of wavelength. Scholars work through the interactive to discover the...

Don't string your class along! Physics scholars discover the fascinating forces behind the music of stringed instruments using an interactive. From a series covering sounds and waves, the interactive asks users to identify nodes and...

Ever wonder what really goes on inside a clarinet? Show your young scientists the physics of open-end air columns through an easy-to-use interactive. Learners examine the features of standing waves and calculate frequency and length in a...

Physics is like music—practice makes perfect! Challenge your class using an interactive that builds harmonic skills. The engaging lesson from a playlist exploring sounds and waves revolves around wave behavior in closed-end air columns....

In this tsunami waves worksheet, students explore data from the Indonesian tsunami of 2004 and answer ten questions about the data. They draw conclusions about the devastation and destruction based on the amplitude and speed of the tsunami.

Does the depth of a pond matter to the waves created when rain is falling? Many people assume the answer is no, but interestingly, it does matter. Pupils explore this concept and other variables related to wave behavior through a...

How can a pan flute sound one note while we hear a chord? The simulation explores sound waves, vibrations, and harmonics at the molecular level. Scholars control the pipe into which air is being blown, the length of the pipe, and which...

In this seismic waves worksheet, students read and study the science of earthquakes using online resources to complete 8 short answer questions.

Radio waves are all around us! How do they transmit sound? Using an interactive, scholars examine how songs travel through the air. The resource explains the process from the radio station, to signal towers, to the radio unit. A look at...

In this "Curious? What Makes Waves?" worksheet, students answer three questions interactively about waves, then check their answers online.

Sometimes it's okay to rock the boat! Science scholars manipulate wave properties using a fun interactive. Part of a larger playlist that dives into waves and sound, the lesson helps users work their way from apprentice to wizard by...

Turn it up! Sound scientists explore the decibel scale through an interactive that calculates movement up and down the scale. Part of a series of interactives that explore sounds and waves, the resource includes a help feature to support...

Let there be light in your classroom with a video that explains that light travels in waves, the electromagnetic spectrum contains seven colors, and the color of an object depends on which light waves it reflects and absorbs. With...

The study of waves is not a quacking matter! Watch as a duck manipulates the behavior of its waves through its motion. Graphs show the frequency and wavelength of the waves. 

Ever wonder why a siren sounds different when it's coming toward you than when it's going away from you? It all depends on the motion of the sound waves! The interactive activity demonstrates how the Doppler effect impacts the motion of...