IV. PHYSICAL SCIENCE TOPICS
  1. Matter and Energy
  2. Changes in Matter
  3. Motion of Objects
  4. Waves and Vibrations

 

Additional Sites for Physical Science

  1. Interactive Sites/Animations/Videos/Photographs
  2. Lessons/Activities/Information
  3. Searches/Periodicals/Projects
  4. General Science Resources (Miscellaneous Sites)

 

4. Waves and Vibrations

 

High School

  1. Benchmark 1 - "Relate characteristics of sounds that we hear to properties of sound waves."
    1. Doppler Effect and Sonic Booms - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1)
      Outstanding! This site includes an equation for calculating the change in frequency of a sound wave due to the doppler effect. More importantly it shows graphics to explain the phenomenon of the doppler effect, and it also gives illustrations and a movie of the effects of the surrounding air when a plane reaches and surpasses the sound barrier above water in moist air. This movie is outstanding.
    2. Fear of Physics - Introduction to Sound - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1)
      This site uses animations to demonstrate sound waves and how we hear.
    3. Interactive Science Animations of Sound and Light - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1,2&3) New
      Outstanding: This website allows students to interact with animations that demonstrate how light and sound waves travel through different materials. It also demonstrates how sound is measured.
    4. Physics Classroom - "Sound Waves & Music" - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1) New
      The nature of sound as a longitudinal, mechanical pressure wave is explained and the properties of sound are discussed. Wave principles of resonance and standing waves are applied in an effort to analyze the physics of musical instruments. Lessons include; The Nature of a Sound Wave, Sound Properties and Their Perception, Behavior of Sound Waves, Resonance and Standing Waves, Musical Instruments.
    5. Physics Classroom - "Waves: Multimedia Physics Studio" - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1,2,3&4) New
      Outstanding! These multimedia animations help you visualize and understand major physics concepts. The animations cover common physics principles discussed in a first year physics course.
    6. Play an e-Piano! - Waves & Vibrations  (IV.4.HS.1)
      Play an "e-piano" and see the sound waves converted to transverse waves on an oscilloscope. This virtual reality Java piano lets you play the piano and have a little fun while learning the relationship between the sounds, music theory, musical scales, and the underlying math and physics of how sounds are produced and perceived.
    7. Science Explorer: Sound - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1)
      This site describes sound waves and has a link to "internet activities which provides exploration into various characteristics of sound including the Doppler Effect, as well as an on-line "self-test".
    8. Science of Sound: Hands on Activities - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1)
      The site contains labs to investigate the properties of sound. Example of some labs are: Making a Model Eardrum, Slinky Soundwaves, Making Sounds with String, Air and Strings: Human Vocal Cords, Balloons: Vibrations through air.
    9. Sound Waves: What Do They Look Like? - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1)
      Good discription of sound and its characteristics with pictures.  Also links at the bottom of the page to the "Science of Sound" and "How We Hear".
    10. The Science of Light - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1&4)
      Introduction to how we see colors with a link to Light in Color. Using two colored light sources students can move them to produce different colored and shaped shadows.
  2. Benchmark 2 - "Explain how we see colors of objects."
    1. About Rainbows - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2)
      This site has information about how light is diverted by water droplets to form a rainbow. Author Donald Ahrens in this text Meteorology Today describes a rainbow as "one of the most spectacular light shows observed on Earth." The traditional rainbow is sunlight spread out into its spectrum of colors and diverted to the eye of the observer by water droplets. The "bow" part of the word describes the fact that the rainbow is a group of nearly circular arcs of color having a common center.
    2. Center for Science Education: Light Tour - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2)
      An excellent interactive site focusing on the behavior of light. Areas covered are wavelength, amplitude, electromagnetic spectrum, relationships between light waves and objects of various sizes, and how to recognize the type of light in different spectra.
    3. Color and Color Television - Waves & Vibrations  (IV.4.HS.2)
      Outstanding - This site has great interactive possibilities for the students in mixing colored light.  The table of contents will also get you to a great activity on the comparison between laser light and different light sources and their coresponding frequency and wavelength.
    4. Color Links - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2)
      Many links to color sites such as subtractive colors (pigments) and additive colors. Physics of rainbows and spectral lines are also excellent sites.
    5. Exploratorium Science "Snacks", Colored Shadow Lab - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2) New
      Simple lab used to show that shadows aren't always black and white.When two different-colored lights shine on the same spot on a white screen, the light reflecting from that spot to your eyes is called an additive mixture because it contains the colors from both lights. This lab is a very simple way to teach about about human color perception.
    6. Human Vision and Color - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2)
      This site explains why we can see different colors.
    7. Interactive Science Animations of Sound and Light - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1,2&3) New
      Outstanding: This website allows students to interact with animations that demonstrate how light and sound waves travel through different materials. It also demonstrates how sound is measured.
    8. Light Links - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2)
      Outstanding! Provides many links to light websites that very from lesson narratives to interactive applets. Math and conceptual applications are found throughout.
    9. Physics Classroom - "Light Waves & Color" - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2) New
      The behavior of light waves is introduced and discussed; polarization, color, diffraction and interference are introduced as supporting evidence of the wave nature of light. Color perception is discussed in detail. Lessons include: How Do We Know Light is a Wave and Color and Vision.
    10. Physics Classroom - "Waves: Multimedia Physics Studio" - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1,2,3&4) New
      Outstanding! These multimedia animations help you visualize and understand major physics concepts. The animations cover common physics principles discussed in a first year physics course.
    11. Teacher's Lab - The Science of Light - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2)
      This site includes basic information about light and color, as well as, interactive activities that are a lot of fun.
    12. The Electromagnetic Spectrum - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2)
      This web site presents information about our ability to see visible light waves. This site provides general information.
    13. Understanding Light - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2&3)
      Teacher lessons for laboratory activites that will teach the students how we see different colors. Has a nice activity that explains to the student how a T.V. or computer monitor works. Includes all answer keys.
    14. World of Color - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2)
      This site allows the student to work interactivally with the three primary colors and find the results of various combinations of colors and intensities.
  3. Benchmark 3 - "Describe waves in terms of their properties."
    1. APS Project Sol - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.3&4)
      Students can take a virtual field trip into the inner workings of a photovoltaic (PV) cell all the way down to an atomic level. There is also a lot of other information about solar energy, electricity, fuels, and their sources. There are also some very good links to other solar sites.
    2. Interactive Science Animations of Sound and Light - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1,2&3) New
      Outstanding: This website allows students to interact with animations that demonstrate how light and sound waves travel through different materials. It also demonstrates how sound is measured.
    3. Parts of a Wave - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.3)
      This site is an interactive demonstration where properties (amplitude, wavelength, crest and trough, and frequency) of waves can be changed by using a slide.
    4. Physics Classroom - "Waves" - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.3) New
      These multimedia animations help you visualize and understand major physics concepts. The animations cover common physics principles discussed in a first year physics course.
    5. Physics Classroom - "Waves: Multimedia Physics Studio" - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1,2,3&4) New
      Outstanding! These multimedia animations help you visualize and understand major physics concepts. The animations cover common physics principles discussed in a first year physics course.
    6. Science Explorer: The Electromagnetic Spectrum - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.3)
      This site describes the electromagnetic spectrum with a link to "internet activities" which provides explorations into characteristics of electromagnetic waves.
    7. Speed of Light - Waves & Vibrations  (IV.4.HS.3)
      Outstanding! - This site gives your students a real understanding about the speed of light including, wavelength changes and units.  The simulation is very helpful for the students.
    8. String Wave - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.3)
      Very cool site! This site allows the student to play with a string wave without the mess. It is also much tidier than a real lab demo. It shows what effects tension and dampening have on waves…and it allows for the student to see interference of waves by making several at a time.
    9. Understanding Light - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.2&3)
      Teacher lessons for laboratory activites that will teach the students how we see different colors. Has a nice activity that explains to the student how a T.V. or computer monitor works. Includes all answer keys.
    10. Wave Links - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.3)
      Many links to wave websites that very from lesson narratives to interactive applets. Math and conceptual applications are found throughout.
  4. Benchmark 4 - "Describe different types of waves and their technological applications."
    1. APS Project Sol - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.3&4)
      Students can take a virtual field trip into the inner workings of a photovoltaic (PV) cell all the way down to an atomic level. There is also a lot of other information about solar energy, electricity, fuels, and their sources. There are also some very good links to other solar sites.
    2. Einstein's Legacy - Waves & Vibrations  (IV.4.HS.4)
      Outstanding! - This is an excellent site for students to view different types of  technological applications of waves such as x-rays, microwaves, CAT scans, lasers, TV & labtop screens.  There are several interactive sections throughout where the student can do such things as select a view to x-ray in a human hand and even put marshmallows into a microwave!
    3. Making Waves - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.4)
      This site provides background information about different types of waves and their technological applications. Making Waves is an excellent resource enabling students to compare and contrast the various waves contained in the electromagnetic spectrum.
    4. Physics Classroom - "Waves: Multimedia Physics Studio" - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1,2,3&4) New
      Outstanding! These multimedia animations help you visualize and understand major physics concepts. The animations cover common physics principles discussed in a first year physics course.
    5. Seismic Waves - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.4)
      This site takes you through both p waves and s waves made during an earthquake and allows you to link to other sites with simulations.
    6. The Science of Light - Waves & Vibrations (IV.4.HS.1&4)
      Introduction to how we see colors with a link to Light in Color. Using two colored light sources students can move them to produce different colored and shaped shadows.

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