1. Sound Waves vs. Light Waves

2. Formative Assessment – 5 minutes to complete. Try your best.
What are we going to be learning today?
I’m giving you an Essential Question sheet.
Glue this in your notebook.
We will look at these EQ’s every day.
What are the characteristic properties of waves
and how can they be used?
Big Idea
Sound waves require matter to travel while light
waves do not.
2.Light and sound waves interact with different
mediums in different ways.

3. Glass Activity
What qualitative observations
did you make?
What quantitative observations
3. Did you notice a relationship between
the amount of water and the pitch of
the sound?
4. Why do you think this relationship
occurs?

4. Sound Waves VS. Light Waves Study Guide
Mechanical wave
Transfers energy through matter
High Pitch/Low Pitch (vocal chords)
(Look at speaker section)

5. Have you every mixed corn start and
water?
It makes a really cool substance that takes on properties of solids and liquids.
When the molecules in the mixture are pushed together it seems to be a solid.
When the molecules in the mixture are not pushed together, it seems to be a liquid.

6. This is a video of a substance in a speaker . See if you
can notice any evidence that sound is a mechanical
wave or that if forms compressions.
Answer the question on your study guide

7. Bell in a Vacuum Demonstration
Class is there any evidence that you saw
in the video that would prove that sound
is a mechanical wave and that sound
causes molecules to compress?
Bell in a Vacuum Demonstration
This is a vacuum chamber connected to a
pump. This is not a vacuum cleaner,
but a vacuum chamber that the pump
will suck air out of until
it creates a vacuum similar to space.

9. Effects of Different Mediums (Zip Lock Bag)
We have already discussed how
Sound travels in different mediums. Look at the
items below. Then answer the question on
your study guide.

10. Light waves are transverse waves.
However, because light can travel through
space, it cannot be a matter (mechanical)
wave like sound and light waves.
Thus, the way that light interacts with matter
can be different than the way that sound
interacts with matter.

11. Light Interaction with Matter: Flashlight
and Thermometer Demonstration
One difference between light and sound waves
is that when light waves are absorbed by
matter is that they transform into thermal
energy.
Refraction – occurs when waves travel at
different speeds in different mediums

12. Beaker and a straw: Refraction
Answer the question
on your study guide.

13. The Disappearing Test Tube:
Is there bending light?

14. Sound Waves vs. Light Waves