Mississippi Science PHS.6.1
The Standard
- PHS.6
- Students will explore the characteristics of waves.
Use models to analyze and describe examples of mechanical waves’ properties (e.g., wavelength, frequency, speed, amplitude, rarefaction, and compression).
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Waves
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use a rope or slinky to model a wave moving through material. They identify wavelength, amplitude, frequency, speed, compressions, and rarefactions in models and diagrams.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can label wavelength and amplitude on a rope sketch and compressions and rarefactions on a slinky sketch. They can calculate wave speed from wavelength and frequency, with units.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may measure amplitude from crest to trough instead of from the rest line. They may think a larger amplitude means a faster wave, or confuse the spread-out coils of a rarefaction with a compression.
How to Assess It
- Give students a rope sketch with crests 4 cm apart and 2 cm above the rest line, plus a slinky sketch with tight and spread coils. Ask them to label wavelength, amplitude, and one compression, then find the wave speed at 3 Hz.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Stretch a slinky across the floor, send repeated pushes, and mark two neighboring compressions with sticky notes.
Show two rope sketches with equal crest spacing but different heights; ask which has greater amplitude and what stays the same.
Give partners cards with wavelength and frequency values; have them calculate each wave speed and check each other's units.
Play 250 Hz and 500 Hz tones from a tone-generator app; ask students which has higher pitch and what changed in the wave.
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Printable PHS.6.1 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to PHS.6.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- PHS.6.2
Analyze examples and evidence of transverse and longitudinal waves found in nature (e.g., earthquakes, ocean waves, and sound waves).
- PHY.4.3
Use mathematical and computational analysis to explore wave characteristics (e.g., velocity, period, frequency, amplitude, phase, and wavelength).
- PHY.4.2
Describe and model through digital or physical means the characteristics and properties of mechanical waves by simulating and investigating properties of simple...
- PHY.4.1
Analyze the characteristics and properties of simple harmonic motions, sound, and light.
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