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Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: The Em Spectrum: Waves of Energy

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are introduced to the electromagnetic spectrum through this group research activity. Each group investigates a different wavelength range within the em spectrum and reports back to class. Discussion ideas also included.
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Lesson Plan
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology

Iris: Seismic Reflection

For Students 9th - 10th
A complete lesson on seismic reflection. A video, slide presentation, and practice with solutions are included.
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eBook
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Physics Tutorial: Waves: The Speed of a Wave

For Students 9th - 10th
With sample data, equations, and practice problems, students explore the concept of wave speed.
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Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Wave Speed

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Definition of wave speed and how it is related to wavelength and wave frequency, how to calculate wave speed and how it is related to the medium of a wave.
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Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Electromagnetic Spectrum

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students learn what an electromagnetic wave is, gain a feel for the main parts of the spectrum, and work on problems involving basic properties of electromagnetic...
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Chemistry Simulation: Neon Lights

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] Neon lights are a type of discharge tube. Observe how electrons create colored light in a hydrogen gas discharge tube. Can you figure out why hydrogen's emission spectrum contains more than one color of...
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Unit Plan
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Color Addition

For Students 9th - 10th
This tutorial on the addition of color to light discusses the primary, complimentary, and secondary colors of light.
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Interactive
Pennsylvania State University

Kettering University: Vibration & Waves

For Students 9th - 10th
A short tutorial providing general information about waves, their categories, properties and behaviors. Includes several animations and some practice questions with answers.
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Unit Plan
BBC

Bbc: Gcse Bitesize: Why Do Scientists Think That Light and Sound Are Waves?

For Students 9th - 10th
Light travels as transverse waves and can travel through a vacuum. Sound travels as longitudinal waves and needs to travel through a solid, liquid or gas. Read about the properties of light and of sound, and learn the differences between...
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Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Wave Characteristics Review

For Students 9th - 10th
Review the characteristics of periodic transverse and longitudinal waves such as wavelength, crest, trough, amplitude, expansion, and compression.
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Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Light: Electromagnetic Waves, Electromagnetic Spectrum and Photons

For Students 9th - 10th
This article discusses the properties of electromagnetic radiation and photons.
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Interactive
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Describing a Wave

For Students 3rd - 5th
This interactive lesson engages students in noticing the shape of (transverse) waves and learning how to describe and measure the amplitude and wavelength of waves.
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Lesson Plan
University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas Mc Donald Observatory: Super Gelatin

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers measure the angles of refraction of laser light traveling through gelatin, then plot their data to calculate the gelatin's index of refraction.
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Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Test Prep: Mcat: Physical Processes: Sound Is a Longitudinal Wave

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses the physics of how sound travels. Includes a video of a volcanic eruption that demonstrates the speed of sound waves.
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Lesson Plan
McREL International

Mc Rel: Whelmer #11 Learning Activity: Straw Oboes

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
An easy to do activity that investigates sound waves, wave length, frequency and pitch. The activity is presented in a lesson plan format that meets NSES standards.
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Website
NASA

Viewing the Violent Universe: What Are Gamma Rays?

For Students 9th - 10th
The universe produces a broad range of light, only a fraction of which is visible to our eyes. Gamma rays are nonvisible light, which also includes x-rays, ultraviolet light, infrared radiation, and radio waves.
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Handout
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Berkeley Lab: University of California: Electromagnetic Radiation

For Students 9th - 10th
This page defines electromagnetic radiation. Included are links to more information.
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Online Course
Cosmo Learning

Cosmo Learning: Modern Physics: Quantum Mechanics

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of video lectures from a modern physics course that focuses on quantum mechanics. The course is taught at Stanford University. The course includes ten lectures that vary in length.
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Handout
University of Chicago

University of Chicago: Reflector and Refractor

For Students 9th - 10th
From the Yerkes Observatory Virtual Tour web site. Compares and contrasts reflecting and refracting telescopes. A link from the page leads to a second page which explains why most modern research telescopes are reflecting telescopes.
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eBook
Simon Fraser University

Chem1 Virtual Textbook: What Is a Wave?

For Students 9th - 10th
Acting as part of an overview on quantum theory, this section of the site answers the question, what is a wave? In addition to a definition, several examples and formulas are provided.
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eBook
Simon Fraser University

Chem1 Virtual Textbook: Particles and Waves

For Students 9th - 10th
Acting as a subtopic of the General Chemistry Virtual Textbook's section on Atoms and the Periodic Table, this site discusses wavelength and the uncertainty principle. Information is also provided on de Broglie wavelength and electron...
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Activity
PBS

Nova Teachers: Einstein Revealed: What's Your Wavelength: Classroom Activity

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Investigate the wavelength properties of visible light and the scattering effects of the earth's atmosphere on different wavelengths.
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Handout
Trinity College Dublin

The History of Mathematics: Young

For Students 9th - 10th
A short sketch of the life and work of Thomas Young (1773-1829 CE). Traces early upbringing and education and his scientific discoveries and contributions.
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Interactive
Concord Consortium

The Concord Consortium: Molecular Workbench: Wave on a String

For Students 9th - 10th
Create a wavelength using periodic motion.