WAVES & CURRENTS

•  When you hear the words waves and currents, your brain might immediately make you think about the ocean, or at least some form of water. That is natural, since that is probably what you have experienced the most in connection to those two words. But waves and currents can be talking about energy as well. Energy travels in waves, and electric current is the constant flow of electric energy.

• A wave, whether it is in the ocean, on land, or in the air, is simply the movement that takes energy from one place to another. Many kinds of energy travels in waves. Light, sound, and mechanical energy all travel in waves. Sound waves, for  example, are produced by the vibration of particles. Plucking a string on a guitar or violin makes the air around the string move back and forth. A wave can be measured based on a comparison of its highest point (crest) and lowest point (trough). The distances between troughs and the distance between crests are called wavelengths.  You can use a timer to see how many crests happen in a certain amount of time, and   that will tell you the frequency of a wave.

• The constant flow of charged particles is an electric current. Negatively charged particles move toward positively charged particles. Electric current needs an unbroken path, or circuit. A circuit is made of wires, an energy source, and something that requires energy. Then the current can flow!

 Name:__________________________________

Answer the following questions based on the  reading passage. Don’t forget to go back to the  passage whenever necessary to find or confirm   your answers.

1)  Use your existing connections to the words waves and currents to help you connect to their new meanings. What do ocean waves and currents have to do with  energy waves and electrical currents?

2)  Give an example of a kind of energy that travels in waves.

3)  What is the difference between a trough and a crest?

4)   What is a wavelength?

5)   What is a circuit made of?