Reflection, Absorption & Transmission
Aligned to MS-PS4-2 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
When a wave meets a material it can bounce off (reflect), pass through (transmit), or have its energy taken in (absorb). Most materials do a mix of all three.
Worked example
Light hitting a window is mostly transmitted, so you see through it; a mirror reflects nearly all of it back; and a black shirt absorbs it and warms up in the sun.
Practice questions
- Observe how light behaves with a mirror, clear glass, and dark paper, and sort each result as reflected, transmitted, or absorbed.
- Develop a model showing what happens to sound waves when they hit a soft curtain.
- Explain why a material can reflect one type of wave while transmitting another.
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
Reflexión, Absorción y Transmisión
Cuando una onda llega a un material puede rebotar (reflejarse), atravesarlo (transmitirse) o que su energía sea absorbida. La mayoría de los materiales hacen una mezcla de los tres.
Ejemplo: La luz que llega a una ventana se transmite en su mayoría, por eso ves a través de ella; un espejo la refleja casi toda de regreso; y una camiseta negra la absorbe y se calienta bajo el sol.
More Waves & Their Applications lessons
Teach this lesson today
An AI tutor that guides with questions instead of just giving answers — all K–12 core subjects, every child in the family.
Start free — no card required