Sound Waves
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"Sound Waves" is written for 6th Grade (Ages 11-12), and it covers NGSS MS-PS4-1. If your student is a year younger but already steady on waves and light, the page still works. You may just need to read the instructions out loud. And if they are older and waves and sound never quite stuck, this is a short review rather than busywork.
2 pages in this set
6th grade science worksheet: read about compressions and pitch, then use a table of sound speeds in air, water and steel. Answer key included. Part of our waves and sound collection. Aligned to NGSS standards.
How do I use this worksheet?
Have students count crests in each picture to find the frequency. Use a spring toy, if you have one, to show the compressions and rarefactions from the Sound Waves diagram.
What students will practice
- Students will describe how particles move in a longitudinal wave and name its compressions.
- Students will connect pitch to frequency and loudness to amplitude.
- Students will use a table of speeds to find how far sound travels in air in 3 seconds.
Curriculum Links
Next Generation Science Standards
Science · 6th Grade
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FAQ
How do I use this waves and sound worksheet?
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Have students count crests in each picture to find the frequency. Use a spring toy, if you have one, to show the compressions and rarefactions from the Sound Waves diagram.
What does this worksheet teach?
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Read about compressions and pitch, then use a table of sound speeds in air, water and steel. The directions on the page read: Read the text and study the spring model and the table. Then answer the questions on page 2. An answer key is included.
Can I use this waves and sound worksheet for homeschool or classroom?
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Yes, both. We made it for 6th Grade waves and light, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with waves and sound. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.
How do you find the frequency of a wave?
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Count the waves that pass a point each second. Frequency is measured in hertz, and one hertz means one wave per second, so 2 waves in 1 second is 2 Hz.
What is the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves?
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In a transverse wave, like a wave on a rope, the rope moves up and down while the wave moves forward. In a longitudinal wave, the particles vibrate back and forth in the same direction the wave travels.
What makes a sound louder or higher?
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Loudness depends on amplitude, so a larger amplitude sounds louder. Pitch depends on frequency, so a higher frequency makes a higher pitch.
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Worksheet Details
| Grade | 6th Grade |
| Subject | Science |
| Topic | Waves and Light |
| Standard | MS-PS4-1 |
| Pages | 2 pages |
| Difficulty | Medium |
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