About the Science Reasoning Center

Highly Recommended
Like all our Science Reasoning Center activities, the completion of the Standing Waves in a Rope activity requires that a student use provided information about a phenomenon, experiment, or data presentation to answer questions. This information is accessible by tapping on the small thumbnails found on the bottom right of every question. However, it may be considerably easier to have a printed copy of this information or to display the information in a separate browser window. You can access this information from this page.





The Standards
The Standing Waves in a Rope activity describes a collection of three experiments investigating the possible effect of three different variables upon the speed of a standing wave. The experiments are described and frequency-wavelength-speed data are presented in tables. Questions target a student's ability to understand the design of an experiment, to combine results from two or more data presentations in order to draw appropriate conclusions, to interpolate and extrapolate from data in a table, to predict the results of an additional trial, to translate information from a data table to a graph, and to make predictions based upon a model.


Success with the activity requires some degree of understanding or proficiency with respect to ...

• Developing and Using Models (Science and Engineering Practice 2.6)
  Develop and/or use a model (including mathematical and computational) to generate data to support explanations, predict phenomena, analyze systems, and/or solve problems.
• Planning and Carrying Out Investigations (Science and Engineering Practice 3.5)
  Make directional hypotheses that specify what happens to a dependent variable when an independent variable is manipulated.
• Analyzing and Interpreting Data(Science and Engineering Practice 4.1)
  Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (e.g., computational, mathematical) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.
• Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking (Science and Engineering Practice 5.3)
  Use mathematical, computational, and/or algorithmic representations of phenomena or design solutions to describe and/or support claims and/or explanations.
• Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions (Science and Engineering Practice 6.1)
  Make a quantitative and/or qualitative claim regarding the relationship between dependent and independent variables.
• Patterns (Crosscutting Concept 1.5)
  Mathematical representations are needed to identify some patterns.
• Cause and Effect (Crosscutting Concept 2.1)
  Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.
• Cause and Effect (Crosscutting Concept 2.2)
  Systems can be designed to cause a desired effect.
• Scale, Proportion, and Quantity (Crosscutting Concept 3.2)
  Algebraic thinking is used to examine scientific data and predict the effect of a change in one variable on another (e.g., linear growth vs. exponential growth).

While the Standing Waves in a Rope activity addresses the five NextGen Science and Engineering Practices and the five Crosscutting Concepts above, the activity drew its greatest inspiration from ACT's College Readiness Standards for Science Reasoning. The activity consists of 49 questions organized into 14 Question Groups and spread across the three activities. All three strands (Interpretation of Data - IOD, Scientific Investigation - SIN, and Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and Experimental Results - EMI) of the College Readiness Standards are addressed in this activity. The code given for the standard includes three letters to indicate the strand and three numbers to indicate the specific standard within that strand. Higher numbers are indicative of more complex science reasoning skills. The relationship between the questions and the standards is as follows:




Complementary and Similar Resources
The following resources at The Physics Classroom website complement the Standing Waves in a Rope Science Reasoning Activity. Teachers may find them useful for supporting students and/or as components of lesson plans and unit plans.

Physics Classroom Tutorial, Vibrations and Waves: Lesson 4 on Standing Waves

Physics Video Tutorial, Vibrations and Waves: What is a Standing Wave?

Physics Video Tutorial, Vibrations and Waves: Harmonics and Standing Wave Patterns

Physics Interactives, Waves and Sound: Wave Addition Simulation

Physics Interactives, Waves and Sound: Standing Wave Maker Simulation

Concept Builders, Waves and Sound: Name That Harmonic (Strings)

Minds On Physics, Wave Motion Module, Mission WM7 - Standing Waves and Harmonics

Minds On Physics, Wave Motion Module, Mission WM8 - Standing Wave Matematics

The Calculator Pad, Vibrations and Waves: Problem Set WM10 - WM15