Unit 9: Waves and Information Transfer

In the first case study, students use slinky springs to model longitudinal and transverse mechanical waves in an investigation into how the amplitude and frequency of seismic waves relate to how much energy the waves carry.

Students apply their knowledge of seismic waves to design seismograph prototypes that detect and record high- and low-amplitude seismic surface waves.

Once students have explored mechanical waves, they move onto light waves, modeling how light interacts with optical fibers by observing how a beam of light can be reflected inside a stream of water. Students then model a data communication system to compare how digital and analog signals encode and transmit information.