Science - catch your waves

Describe a wave as movement of energy from one place to another

A wave uses oscillations to carry energy from one place to another

Explain what the word “oscillation” means

The backwards and forwards or up and down movement of a particle between two points

Explain how a shadow is formed

A shadow is formed when light is blocked

explain what the word “frequency” means

How many times per second the particles in a substance oscillate

State that frequency is measured in hertz (Hz)

The particles in a substance oscillating once every second is equal to one herts (Hz)

Describe how sounds change if their frequency changes

When the frequency of sound changes it makes the pitch of the sound change too

Identify the parts of the human ear and how we can hear

Outer ear (pinna), middle ear (tympanic cavity), inner ear, cochlea, ear canal, ear drum, ossicles, hammer, stirrup, anvil

Describe how light changes if its frequency changes

If light waves have a different frequency they will have a different colour

State the different kinds of light that makes up the electromagnetic spectrum

Radio waves (TV and radio signals), microwaves (Used to heat food quickly and in phones), infrared radiation (transmits heat from sun, fires, and radiators), visible light (light that we can see), ultraviolet (UV and can cause sunlight), X-rays (used to see in the human body), gamma rays (used to treat cancer)

Explain how atoms make light

Atoms make light when electrons lose their energy and come back towards the nucleus

Describe how sounds change if their amplitudes change

When the amplitude of sound changes it changes the volume of a sound

Describe how light changes if its amplitude changes

When the amplitude of light changes it will change the brightness of the light

State that light travels much faster than sound

The frequency of sound waves is tens to thousands of Hz and the frequency of light waves can have frequencies of many millions of Hz

Explain what a light year is and why it’s used to measure distances in space

A light year is the distance that light travels in a year and it is used to measure distances in space because light travels at 300,000,000 meters per second so they use light years which is the equivalent to 9,460,000,000,000,000 meters

Explain how an echo is formed

An echo is formed when a sound wave bounces off an object

Describe what lateral inversion means

Lateral inversion is the switching of left and right in a mirror

Explain why coloured objects appear the colour that they do

Coloured objects appear the colour that they do because that is the colour that they reflect for example a red object reflect red and it absorbs every other colour

How can we hear

Sound waves enter the outer ear and travel along the ear canal, the sound waves hit the eardrum making it vibrate, vibrations fro the eardrum move three tiny bones (ossicles), the vibrations pass into the fluid filled cochlea, hair cells in the cochlea move and convert vibrations into nerve signals, the signals are sent to the brain, the brain understands the signals as sounds

What are the three bones in the ear called

Hammer, stirrup, anvil