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Science Launch G4 / Week 06 / Launch Lab
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Week 06 · Wave Patterns

Launch Lab

Launch Lab: Wave commands
// Amplitude, wavelength and waves that move things
⏱ about 15 min

Launch Lab: Wave commands

Out in the backyard, Rocket and Raven stretch a long rope across the grass. Each holds one end.

"Wave command game!" Rocket calls. "I will say a wave, and you make it."

Raven grips her end. "Before we start, what do you notice about how your arm makes each kind of wave?"

Nova hovers in the middle, her eyes flashing like a referee. "My hint," she says. "Big arm for big amplitude. Fast arm for short wavelength."

  1. A wave is a regular pattern of motion that carries energy.
  2. The crest is the top. The trough is the bottom.
  3. Amplitude is the height of a wave.
  4. Wavelength is the space from one crest to the next.
  5. In deep water, water moves up and down while the energy moves on.
  6. Waves can make objects move.
◇ WAVE COMMANDS
Stretch a rope or long string between two people.
One person calls a command, like "small amplitude" or "short wavelength."
The other person makes that wave with the rope.
Switch roles after five commands.
Safety first
Play on soft grass or carpet, away from furniture.
Never wrap the rope around anyone's neck or body.
For a grown-up
Ask: What did you notice? What would you change?
Ask your child to show you a big amplitude wave and explain what amplitude means.
LAUNCH LAB CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
The command is "big amplitude." What should you do?
The command is "short wavelength." What should you do?
The bottom of a wave is the ____.
Shaking a rope faster makes a ____ wavelength.
What is the height of a wave called?
WHY THIS EXERCISEAmplitude is the height of a wave.

Week 6 complete! Next week we use waves of light to explore how we see.

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