Activity

Slinkies and Waves

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Slinkies® are a great tool for visualizing waves. Pupils work in groups to create both transverse and longitudinal waves before using a polarizer to analyze the ways they are able to travel. 

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CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Use a digital camera to capture waves and slow them down for analysis
Classroom Considerations
  • Large Slinkies® are easier to use than the smaller sizes
  • You may need to rearrange the classroom in order to have room for each group to work with their Slinky®
  • The third lesson in a series of nine
Pros
  • Highlights vocabulary throughout to allow for easier understanding
  • Includes homework questions
  • Provides many great ideas for extending the lesson
Cons
  • Document permissions do not allow for printing