Name Date Class

Characteristics of Waves ■
Adapted Reading and Study

Interactions of Waves (pages 17–23)

Reflection (page 18)

Key Concept: When an object or a wave hits a surface

through which it cannot pass, it bounces back.
• Reflection is the bouncing back of a wave or object
from a surface. For example, if you throw a ball at a wall,
the ball bounces back. The ball is reflected by the wall.
• Sound waves bounce off walls and other hard surfaces.
Reflected sound waves are called echoes.
• Light waves bounce off mirrors and other shiny surfaces.
You see your face in a mirror because light from your
face bounces back from the mirror to your eyes.

Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the

ideas above.
1. The bouncing back of a wave or object from a surface
is called .

2. Circle the letter of an example of reflection.

a. a pitcher throwing a ball
b. a rocket flying into space
c. an echo

3. Is the following sentence true or false? You can see

yourself in a mirror because of reflection.

© Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.
11
Name Date Class

Characteristics of Waves ■
Adapted Reading and Study

Refraction (page 19)

Key Concept: When a wave enters a new medium at an

angle, one side of the wave changes speed before the
other side, causing the wave to bend.
• Refraction is the bending of a wave due to a change in
speed. Refraction happens only when a wave enters a
new medium at an angle.
• Light travels slower through water than through air. So,
when light enters water, it slows down.
• If a light wave passes from air into water at an angle,
one side of the light wave enters the water before the
other side. This causes the light wave to bend.

Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the

ideas above.
4. Is the following sentence true or false? Reflection
happens only when a wave enters a new medium at an
angle.

5. The pictures show light waves moving from air into

water. Which picture shows refraction?

a. b.
Light waves Light waves

Air Air
Water Water

© Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.
12
Name Date Class

Characteristics of Waves ■
Adapted Reading and Study

Diffraction (page 20)

Key Concept: When a wave moves around a barrier or

through an opening in a barrier, it bends and spreads
out.
• Diffraction is the bending and spreading out of waves.
Diffraction happens when waves go around a barrier or
through a hole in a barrier.
• Suppose that ocean waves hit a big ship. The ship is a
barrier to the waves. The waves bend to travel around
the ship. Then, the waves spread out across the water
on the other side of the ship. The waves have been
diffracted.

Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the

ideas above.
6. Is the following sentence true or false? The bending
and spreading out of waves when they go around a
barrier is called refraction.

7. The pictures show water waves reaching a hole in a

wall. Which picture shows how the waves will look after
they go through the hole?
a. Water waves

Wall

b. Water waves

Wall

© Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.
13
Name Date Class

Characteristics of Waves ■
Adapted Reading and Study

Interference (pages 20–21)

Key Concept: There are two types of interference:

constructive and destructive.
• Interference is what happens between waves that
bump into one another. When waves interfere, the
waves combine to form a single wave.
• Constructive interference happens when the high
points of one wave pass through the high points of
another wave. The two waves combine to make a wave
with a larger amplitude.
• Destructive interference happens when the high
points of one wave pass through the low points of
another wave. The two waves combine to make a wave
with a smaller amplitude.

Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the

ideas above.
8. Is the following sentence true or false? Interference is
what happens between waves that bump into one
another.

9. Fill in the blanks in the table about types of

interference.

Types of Interference

Type of Interference Amplitude of Combined

Wave

Constructive a.

b. smaller

© Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.
14
Name Date Class

Characteristics of Waves ■
Adapted Reading and Study

Standing Waves (pages 22–23)

Key Concept: If the incoming wave and a reflected

wave have just the right frequency, they produce a
combined wave that appears to be standing still.
• A standing wave is a wave that seems to stand in one
place. A standing wave is really two waves interfering
with one another.
• If you tie one end of a rope to a doorknob and shake the
other end of the rope up and down, waves travel through
the rope to the doorknob. At the doorknob, the waves
reflect and travel back toward your hand. The waves you
are making and the reflected waves pass through each
other. They combine to make a single wave. If the waves
have just the right frequency, the combined wave seems
to be standing still.

Answer the following question. Use your textbook and the

ideas above.
10. Circle the letter of the sentence that is true about
standing waves.
a. They are waves that do not move.
b. They are caused by interference.
c. They are waves that are moving so slowly that they
seem to be standing still.

© Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.
15