Wave Behaviors Intro Activity

Wave Behaviors

Making Sense of It

Working by yourself, create your own definition for the following words that makes sense to you and describe a real world situation where each occurs.

(Wave) Transmission (Wave) Diffraction

(Wave) Reflection (Wave) Interference

(Wave) Refraction

You Do

Combining Ideas

With your group, share each of your definitions and situations. As a group write down a new group definition and situation for each of the words in one person's notebook. Show your work to Mr. Spies. Once approved, grab a piece of poster paper. Create a poster containing all of the words, group definitions, group situations, and a picture/diagram for each word.

We Do

Putting it all together

As we go through the actual definitions for each word, write them down in your notebook. Compare the definition on the slides to the definitions you came up with on your own and with your group.

I Do

Wave Behaviors

Transmission- waves moving through a medium

Reflection- when a wave strikes an object or surface and bounces off

Refraction- the bending of a wave as it moves from one medium to another

Diffraction- the bending of waves around a barrier

Interference- the ability of two (or more) waves to combine and form a new wave when they overlap

I Do

Open Ended

Why you don’t see your reflection in a building made of rough, white stone?

Open Ended

How you are able to hear the siren of an ambulance on the other side of a building?

Open Ended

A boy has caught a fish on his fishing line. He reels the fish in near the boat. How could the refraction of light waves affect him as he tries to net the fish while it is still in the water?