Waves & Interactions of Light

Day 1
 ENERGY REVIEW
Energy is the ability to cause change or do
work.

Energy can be changed from one form to

another but not created or destroyed (Law of
Conservation of Energy).
 Introduction
Today we will learn about waves and their
characteristics. There are many different types
of waves. We will be focusing on light waves,
sound waves, and water waves and how they
compare to each other. We will also learn
about frequency and wavelength and how they
relate to the speed of a wave.
 Learning Target
By the end of this lesson you should be able to:

Define a wave
Describe characteristics of waves.
Explain the relationships that exist between wave
variables.
 Daily Academic Vocabulary
Wave
Energy
Medium
Light
Sound
Water
Wavelength
Frequency
Amplitude
 What is a
Wave?
A wave is a disturbance that carries

through a medium.
Energy
 WHAT IS A MEDIUM (Material)?
A medium is the material that a wave travels
through.
Waves are caused by vibrations of a medium.

Ocean waves and sound waves need a

medium to transfer energy. Sound waves can move
through air, water, and a solid wall.

Light waves can travel with a medium or

without a medium across empty space.
 We will focus on these types
of waves...
Light, Sound and water waves move
energy from one place to another.
 Brain Power
Summarize what you have learned
about waves and mediums.
How do waves travel?

Light (Transverse) waves travel up and

down.

Sound (Longitudinal) waves travel

forward and backward.
What do the parts of a wave tell us about how a wave moves?

The points where a wave is highest are called

crests. The points where a wave is lowest are
called troughs.

The distance from one crest to another, or from

one trough to another, is called wavelength.

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 PARTS OF A
TRANSVERSE WAVE
The length from one point on a
wave to identical point on the The highest part of
next wave. a wave.

Distance of crest or trough from

starting position of the wave. The lowest part of a
wave.
 WAVE FREQUENCY
The frequency is the
number waves that occur
in a given amount of time.

As the Frequency
decreases, the wavelength
increases.
 How are the Frequency and
Speed of a Wave related?
The higher the
frequency, the
faster the wave
travels.
Which of these
waves is traveling
at a slower rate?
 Pitch and Frequency

The higher the frequency of a sound wave ,

the higher the pitch will be of the resulting
sound.
 HOT Question

Study the four transverse waves shown above. Compare the properties of waves B, C,
and D to those of wave A, and complete the following four questions:

1) Compared to wave A, which wave has the same wavelength?

2) Compared to wave A, which waves have a shorter wavelength?

3) Which wave has the same frequency as wave A?

4) Compared to wave A, which two waves have greater frequencies?

 Lets Practice:Wavelength
Draw two waves:
One with a long wavelength
One with a short wavelength

Compare the frequency of the two waves

in your drawing.

Which wave do you think is traveling at the

highest speed?
 HOT Question
Describe the relationship between the
following wavelength and frequency.
 Summarize Your Learning

Define a wave.
Describe how frequency
and speed of wave are
related?
Day 2
 Day 1 Recap
Different types of waves
Light (transverse) waves
Sound (longitudinal) waves
Water waves
Characteristics of Waves
Frequency: number of wave cycles per unit of time
Crest: highest point (peak) of a wave
Trough: lowest point of a wave
Wavelength: distance between two wave crests or troughs.
Wave Relationships
As wavelength increases, frequency decreases.
As frequency increases, so does speed
 Introduction
Today we will focus on how quickly waves
travel through different materials. We will
continue to focus on light waves, sound waves,
and water waves and how they compare to
each other.
 Learning Target

Students will be able to describe and recognize that light

waves, sound waves, and other waves move at different
speeds in different materials.
 Daily Academic Vocabulary
Wave
Energy
Medium
Light
Sound
Water
Wavelength
Frequency
Amplitude
 Video Introduction
Waves move at different speeds through
different materials (solids, liquids, or gases) and
were about to learn more specifically how this
occurs in solids.
 Speed of Sound Waves
through Materials
Sound Waves travel at different speeds
through different materials.
Sound Waves travel fastest through solids.
Sound Waves travels slower in liquid.
Sound Waves travel the slowest through
gases.
Speed of Light Waves through
Materials
Light waves travel at different speeds
through different materials.
Light Waves travel fastest through empty
space and air.
Light slow down when they come in
contact with other materials such as
glass or water.
Speed of Light Waves Through
Materials
Air(Gas)
Fastest

Water(Liquid)

Steel(Solid)
Slowest
 HOT Questions

Explain how sound can be heard in

the deep ocean but not in outer
space.

Explain why light can travel faster in

outer space than in the ocean.
 Summarize Your Learning
Compare and contrast how sound and
light waves travel at different speeds
through different mediums.
Day 3
 Day 2 Re-Cap
Yesterday we learned that waves travel
differently in different materials.
Light waves travel differently than sound
waves.
Light waves travel fastest through air, than
liquids. They travel the slowest through
solids.
Sound waves travel the faster through solids
than liquids. They travel the slowest through
gases such as air.
 Learning Target

Students will be able to differentiate

between reflection, refraction, and
absorption.

Students will be able to explain how light

interacts with translucent, transparent, and
opaque materials.
 Daily Academic Vocabulary
Refraction
Reflection
Absorption
Opaque
Translucent
Transparent
 Remember...
Matter is anything that has mass and
takes up space.

AND

There are 3 states of matter solid,

liquid, and gas (the mediums waves
travel through)
 When Light Strikes an Object
Light waves travels in a straight line until
they hit something.
Depending on what it hits, light may behave
in very different ways.
Unit 3 Lesson 4 Interactions of Light

Matter Scatter
What happens when light waves
interact with matter?
Light travels 300 million miles per second through
a vacuum. This is called the speed of light.

When light waves pass through a medium, the

medium can change properties of the light.

Light goes slower when it passes through matter.

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 Refraction
Some materials transmit
light, or allow light to pass
through them.
Refraction occurs light
bends when it passes at an
angle from one medium to
another.
When the light bends, it
makes things look like they
do not match up.
Unit 3 Lesson 4 Interactions of Light

What happens when light waves

interact with matter?
Refraction occurs because light changes speed as
it enters a medium at an angle.

When light slows in a medium, it bends inward,

creating a smaller angle.

Copyright Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Unit 3 Lesson 4 Interactions of Light

What happens when light waves

interact with matter?
The waves that make up white light have different
wavelengths.

As white light passes through a prism, the

wavelengths refract at different angles and you
see a spectrum of colors.

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 Reflection
When light bounces off a
surface, it is called
reflection.
When light is reflected it
travels in a straight line
away from the reflecting
surface.
Objects that are white reflect
all colors (wavelengths) of
light.
Unit 3 Lesson 4 Interactions of Light

How can matter interact with light?

Matter can reflect light.
Reflection is the
bouncing of light off a
surface.

When light strikes a

smooth surface, the light
bounces off at an angle
equal to the angle at
which it hit the surface,
producing a clear image.

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Absorption Absorption is when light
hits a surface and some of
it is absorbed, or taken in by
the surface.
When light is absorbed into
a surface it is transformed
from light energy into heat
energy.
That is why on a sunny day
it is cooler to wear a white
t-shirt, than a black t-shirt;
dark surfaces absorb more
light than lighter surfaces.
Unit 3 Lesson 4 Interactions of Light

Color Me Impressed!
What determines the color of objects we
see?
When white light strikes an object, the color of the
object depends on how the object reflects or
absorbs the colors of light.

An object that reflects a certain color of light

appears to be that color.

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How Can We Classify Matter
Based on Light Interactions?
Unit 3 Lesson 4 Interactions of Light

How Can We Classify Matter Based on Light

Interactions?

Transparent

Translucent

Opaque

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 Summarize Your Learning
1. Which color absorbs the most light?
2. When light bounces off a surface, what is
it called?
3. Describe what happens to the speed of
light waves when it passes through glass
or water.
4. What happens to a material when it
absorbs light?