Waves: Amplitude & Wavelength
Aligned to 4-PS4 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Waves carry energy. A wave's amplitude is its height (bigger amplitude = more energy, louder sound), and wavelength is the distance between peaks. Light and sound both travel as waves.
Worked example
Plucking a guitar string harder makes a louder note — same pitch, bigger amplitude. A bigger ocean wave (more amplitude) hits the shore with more force.
Practice questions
- What changes about a sound wave when a sound gets louder?
- How do waves carry energy without carrying matter across the ocean?
- Draw a wave and label amplitude and wavelength.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Ondas: Amplitud y longitud de onda
Las ondas transportan energía. La amplitud de una onda es su altura (mayor amplitud = más energía, sonido más fuerte), y la longitud de onda es la distancia entre crestas. La luz y el sonido viajan como ondas.
Ejemplo: Rasgar una cuerda de guitarra con más fuerza produce una nota más fuerte — mismo tono, mayor amplitud. Una ola del océano más grande (mayor amplitud) golpea la orilla con más fuerza.
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