The big idea driving this unit
Thousands of years ago, people banged drums and lit smoke signals to send messages across long distances. Today, we send the same kind of information — words, music, pictures — through fiber optic cables and wifi signals at the speed of light. How do waves make that possible, then and now?
Chapters in this unit
- 1 Intro to Wave PropertiesWhen a drummer sends a message pounding across a valley, or a friend's voice reaches your ears across a room, what is actually traveling through the air — and how can a wave carry a message at all?
- 2 Light WavesLight can bounce off a mirror, bend as it enters water, and travel from the Sun across empty space to reach your skin — so how is light different from every other wave you've studied, and why does that difference matter?
- 3 Waves & Information TechnologyA vinyl record and a streamed song can play the exact same music — so why does the digital version survive scratches, copies, and distance so much better than the analog one?