MS-PS4 Waves and information technology
Aligned to MS-PS4 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Waves can be described by their amplitude (height), wavelength (distance between peaks), and frequency (how often they pass). Waves carry energy and information, and turning a signal into digital code (on and off pulses) lets it travel far and stay accurate, which is how phones and the internet work.
Worked example
When you send a photo, your phone breaks it into digital code (1s and 0s) and sends it as waves to a tower. Because the information is digital, small disruptions along the way do not blur the picture the way a fuzzy analog signal would.
Practice questions
- Name the three properties used to describe a wave.
- Why are digital signals more reliable than analog ones?
- Explain how a photo travels from one phone to another using waves.
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
MS-PS4 Ondas y tecnología de la información
Las ondas se describen por su amplitud (altura), longitud de onda (distancia entre crestas) y frecuencia (con qué frecuencia pasan). Las ondas transportan energía e información, y convertir una señal en código digital (pulsos de encendido y apagado) permite que viaje lejos y se mantenga precisa, que es como funcionan los teléfonos e internet.
Ejemplo: Cuando envías una foto, tu teléfono la convierte en código digital (1s y 0s) y la envía como ondas a una antena. Como la información es digital, las pequeñas interferencias en el camino no distorsionan la imagen como lo haría una señal analógica con ruido.
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