Wave Reflection, Absorption & Transmittance

Energy is present anywhere there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat.

Energy can be moved from one place to another by moving objects or through sound, light, or electrical currents. When objects collide, energy is transferred from one object to another, thereby changing its motion.

The faster a given object is moving, the more energy it has. This happens with all matter and can be measured in many different ways in the form of heat or electrical current.

A wave has a repeating pattern with a specific wavelength, frequency, and amplitude.

Light waves travel in straight lines. But when they hit an object, they bend in different directions and will travel in straight lines in a different direction.

You describe a wave by observing its properties. All waves have amplitude, wavelength, and frequency, but waves can be different from one another. For example, waves with higher amplitude will be louder (sound) and brighter (light) than waves with lower amplitude and wavelength.

Sound waves needs to travel through matter, but light does not need to travel through matter.

Light can be absorbed, reflected, or transmitted through an object, depending on the object’s materials and the wavelength of light.

All waves have amplitude, wavelength, and frequency.

Light waves are measured in nanometers. Higher amplitude light waves will be brighter and show colors such as red, whereas light waves with lower amplitude (and higher frequency) show colors such as violet.

Higher amplitude waves transfer more energy. High amplitude light waves produce bright, visible colors, whereas high amplitude sound waves produce loud sounds.

Sound waves can be transmitted through objects, like when you hear music from another room. Sound waves can also reflect off of objects, like when you hear an echo across cliffs.