In this lab activity, students will calculate the speed of sound. The will observe that the speed of sound is constant, regardless of wavelength and frequency, and see the inverse relationship between wavelength and frequency.

Students will discover infrared by repeating Herschel's experiment, learn the relationship between frequency and wavelength, and describe how images are created in infrared light. They will also learn how infrared energy influences climate by studying thunderstorms. As part of an ongoing process, students will apply what they learn by monitoring daily GOES satellite infrared images for severe thunderstorm activity and, in conjunction with the U.S. Weather Service, keep a journal of their severity and location.

This resource is a part of the Infrared-Hot lesson plan. This resource provides step by step ways for teachers to implement the lesson.

This resource is a part of the Infrared-Hot lesson plan. This resource includes links to student resources for the lesson.

In this lesson students will learn the characteristics of sound, how sound travels, and how sound is created and detected.

This is a PBL project that had students use musical instruments to demonstrate their mastery of waves and vibration. It was specifically designed to help students increase their depth of knowledge of vibration, wave fundamentals, wave interference, light and sound waves, and wave boundary effects. The project required students to use actual instruments to authentically present and justify their level of mastery to local musicians and other experts. Note that the project was designed and delivered per the North Carolina honors Physics curriculum and it can be customized to meet your own specific curriculum needs and resources.

This teaching guide is designed to introduce the concepts of waves and seismic waves that propagate within the Earth, and to provide ideas and suggestions for how to teach about seismic waves. The guide provides information on the types and properties of seismic waves and instructions for using some simple materials – especially the slinky – to effectively demonstrate characteristics of seismic waves and wave propagation. Most of the activities described in the guide are useful both as demonstrations for the teacher and as exploratory activities for students.

In this lesson, students will construct a simple pendulum and use it to investigate periodicity. Students will then apply knowledge of periodicity to the orbits of binary star systems.

Students will construct a simple pendulum and use it to investigate periodicity. Students will then apply knowledge of periodicity to the orbits of binary star systems.

This instructional video shows educators how to set up a wave machine using wooden kabob sticks, jelly candies, and duct tape. The video also demonstrates how the wave machine can then be used to illustrate various wave properties. Background content on waves and wave energy is also provided.

In this unit of study, students will learn about properties of a wave. Lessons in this unit include: The Anatomy of a Wave; Frequency and Period of a Wave; Energy Transport and the Amplitude of a Wave; The Speed of a Wave; and The Wave Equation. This unit includes questions at the end of each lesson to allow students to self assess and check for understanding.