Wave Properties Science Games

In this series of games, your students will learn that waves of the same type can differ in amplitude (height of the wave) and wavelength (spacing between wave peaks). Wave Properties learning objective — based on NGSS and state standards — delivers improved student engagement and academic performance in your classroom, as demonstrated by research.

Scroll down for a preview of this learning objective’s games and the concepts.

Concepts Covered

Waves are regular patterns of motion. All simple waves have similar features in common, including a repeating pattern of specific wavelength, frequency, and amplitude. The wavelength of a wave is the spacing between wave peaks. The amplitude of a wave is the height of a wave. The amplitude of a mechanical wave is related to its energy. The frequency of a wave is the time it takes a wave to complete one full oscillation. Waves of the same type can differ in amplitude and wavelength.

When waves transmit energy, they can cause matter to vibrate. The greater the amplitude of a wave, the greater the motion of the matter that it passes through. Superposition occurs when waves in nature pass through one another, causing their amplitudes to add or cancel from each other as they cross.

There are different types of wave energy, including water waves, seismic waves, sound waves, and light waves. Transverse waves are waves in which the particles vibrate perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling.

Sound waves, water waves, and seismic waves are forms of mechanical energy. Sound is a form of energy that is produced and transmitted by vibrations in matter. The pitch of a sound wave is determined by its frequency. A sound wave with a high frequency has a higher pitch. A sound wave with a lower frequency has a lower pitch. The amplitude of a sound wave determines how loud it sounds. A sound wave with a large amplitude sounds louder than one with a small amplitude.

A preview of each game in the learning objective is found below.

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