In this activity, students will explore animation of a sound wave in air.

• Students will explore an animation of a sound wave in air.
• Students will vary the frequency and intensity, or amplitude, of the wave and determine the relationship between the two.
• Students will determine the amplitude and frequency of a sound wave from a graph.
• Students will explore the relationship between the wavelength and frequency of sound wave as it relates to the wave's period.
• Students will describe the relationship between the sound pressure (intensity) and the simulation of a compression wave.
• Students will discover the relationship between intensity, pressure and amplitude.

• frequency
• period
• hertz
• compression waves
• wavelength
• amplitude
• decibels
• pressure
• longitudinal waves

In this lesson, students will address the relationship between the points of high or low pressure in a sound wave as shown by the graphs and the points' repetition patterns as related to frequency.

As a result, students will:

• Explore the simulation of a sound wave.
• Discover the connection between frequency and pressure.
• Calculate the period of a wave and determine the corresponding frequency and wavelength.
• Explore the peaks and troughs of a wave and relate them to the amplitude of a wave.