Since we can’t see soundwaves as they move through the air, we’re going to simulate one with rope and a friend. This will let you see how a vibration can create a wave. You’ll need at least 10 feet of rope (if you have 25 or 50 feet it’s more fun), a piece of tape (colored if you have it), a slinky, and a partner. Are you ready?
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In transverse wave, energy is strongest at the point where rope is farthest from the middle. But, keep in mind that point is in motion as the energy travels down the rope.
is there a point in the rope were the energy is the strongest and if there is how can u find it
What happens to sound waves after we hear them? Do they keep going? Why don’t people far away from where the sound started hear it when it finally reaches them?
A water wave is a typical transverse wave, because the water moves up and down, which means that the water moves transversely compared to the travel path of the wave itself. Also, electromagnetic waves (like light) are also transverse waves. It’s like taking a bedsheet and flicking it up and and down quickly to see a wave move across the surface.
What types of energy travel in transverse waves? longitudinal waves?
The medium is the stuff the waves is traveling through. A light wave travels through the medium of empty space when it goes from the sun to the earth, and then it changes into the medium of the atmosphere when it gets close to the earth, and then the medium switches to glass as it goes through your window, and then the medium switches back to the earth’s atmosphere inside your room.
The radio tower is a EMR (electromagnetic radiation) source.
You’re right – it does get confusing! Here’s the deal: sound waves are not the same thing as radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic radiation (covered in Unit 9), where the wave itself (or in some cases, particles) travels through space by alternating magnetic and electrical fields. Sound waves are totally different – they are like waves you see when you collapse a length of dominoes or play with a slinky or do the ‘wave’ at a sporting event. The individual dominoes don’t move much, but they move just enough to whack into their neighbor and this is what propagates the sound. Sound travels by molecules vibrating – you can read more about this here.
Also, is the medium the source of the wave? Like the radio tower, for instance?
Hi Aurora!
Okay, I’m a little bit confused with the waves and particles and stuff. You said that the particles don’t move across the room, or from the radio tower to your radio, but then you said that the particles have done work as your energy has moved across the room through the wave. If the particles don’t move, but the wave does, how can the particles have done work?
Laura
Good question! And yes, just because you have your radio turned down doesn’t mean that the antenna isn’t receiving. The antenna is always picking up waves – it may not be outputting the signal to the speaker, but it’s constantly being bombarded with waves.
Hi Aurora,
We are doing the unit on sound and I have a question for you. If the radio is on and you turn the volume all the way down so that you cannot hear anything, is the antenna still picking up the waves? My mom doesn’t know.
KJ3
Hi Susan,
Thanks for your feedback – I really appreciate it. It sounds like you’re having trouble finding what you need from the site. Since there’s a lot of content, it’s totally understandable that it can get confusing. I’ve tried to make it as easy as possible to find what you need quickly, but I am also constantly working to improve it to work better for you!
If you haven’t already, you might want to watch the video that shows how to move around on the site. You can find that video here.
As for finding the video that goes with each lesson, you want to watch the upper right corner menu, which will change depending on where you are on the site. For example, on the sound unit, you’ll find Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 listed on the upper right. By clicking on lesson 1, you’ll be taken to the part of the site that has the video for lesson 1. If you click on lesson 2, then the menu updates to reflect all the content for lesson 2.
You’ll notice that within each lesson are four clickable areas in the upper right menu: Video (which is the overview video), Reading (which is a download you can print out containing background information and science concepts), Experiments, and Exercises. Each lesson contains these four areas, which can be done in any order (however they are listed in the order that I recommend using them in).
The experiments are in the order that I teach them in – sometimes I need to engage the kids with an ooh-ahh experiment before starting in on the concepts, but don’t feel that you need to do them in the order they appear. This program needs to work for your kids and your family!
Although it’s not obvious, each line of the syllabus refers to a new lesson.
Aurora–
I really like your personality and your love of science, but in my opinion your website needs some work. For example, we are working on the Sound Unit.
The “order of operations” confuses me: like which video comes first and exactly where to find it. The syllabus works great, but I cannot find a lecture (or video) labeled specifically for Lesson1, Lesson 2, etc. Also, for example, the experiment for Ear Antennaes comes before the experiment on Transverse and Longitudinal Waves.
Perhaps it was intended that way, but the lessons/videos occur to me as scattered, leaving me, a “non-scientist”, confused.
We are enrolled in Summer E-Camp through the end of the month. After that I’m not sure yet if we will continue. My 7th grader is extremely talented in the sciences so I need to be able to help him excel.