Mississippi Science P.8.6.1
The Standard
- P.8.6
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the properties, behaviors, and application of waves.
Interpret the characteristics and behaviors of sound and light waves to determine the relationship between matter and energy; determine the medium for transmission for each wave
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Motions, Forces, and Energy
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students compare how sound and light carry energy. They use vibrations, shadows, and reflection to explain how each wave interacts with matter. They identify where each can travel.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a ringing phone with a lit screen inside a chamber, students predict that removing air makes the sound fainter but leaves the screen visible. They explain that sound travels through matter, while light can cross empty space and transfer energy when it reaches matter.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think a loud enough sound can travel through empty space. They may also think light needs air, or that air moves all the way from a speaker to a listener.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: A ringing phone with a lit screen sits in a chamber as air is removed. Predict what happens to the sound and light, and explain whether each needs matter to carry energy.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Build a string telephone with two paper cups and string, then compare the sound when the string is tight and slack.
Ask students to write two sentences explaining why sunlight reaches Earth but a shout from space would not.
Have pairs sort air, water, glass, and vacuum cards by whether sound, light, or both can travel through each.
Show a photo of astronauts using radios and ask why radio signals cross space while their voices cannot.
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Printable P.8.6.1 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to P.8.6.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- P.8.6.3
Conduct simple investigations about the performance of waves to describe their behavior (e.g., refraction, reflection, transmission, and absorption) as they int...
- PHY.4.3
Use mathematical and computational analysis to explore wave characteristics (e.g., velocity, period, frequency, amplitude, phase, and wavelength).
- PHY.4.4
Investigate and communicate the relationship between the energy of a wave in terms of amplitude and frequency using probe systems, online simulations, and/or la...
- PHY.4.1
Analyze the characteristics and properties of simple harmonic motions, sound, and light.
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