Transmission, Absorption, and Reflection: How Waves Interact With Materials

Explore how waves interact with materials in this engaging physical science worksheet for middle grades! The two-page worksheet begins with a brief review of waves and related terms like amplitude, wavelength, and frequency. Young scientists are then provided with an overview of how waves interact with materials, in which they will explore the difference between mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves and be introduced to the vocabulary terms transmission, absorption, and reflection. Then, on page two, students will answer critical thinking questions about the types of interactions that occur between waves and materials in seven different real-world scenarios. For more background information about the characteristics of waves, check out Characteristics of Waves: Part 1 and Characteristics of Waves: Part 2!