How can you tell they’ve got it: Wave Properties & Types?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Labels a wave diagram with amplitude, wavelength, crest, and trough; Distinguishes transverse and longitudinal waves and gives an example of each; Uses v = fλ to calculate wave speed, frequency, or wavelength given the other two; Explains what happens to wavelength if frequency increases while wave speed stays constant. Or just try it together: If your child was asked to describe a wave and how fast it travels, could they sketch one, label the wavelength and amplitude, and use the wave equation to work out speed from the frequency and wavelength?

Science Waves, Light & Sound Ages 11–12

Wave Properties & Types

Your child can describe a wave by its height, its spacing, and how often it repeats. They can work out its speed by multiplying how often it repeats by its length.

In curriculum terms

Describe waves in terms of amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and wave speed; distinguish transverse waves (oscillation perpendicular to direction of travel) from longitudinal waves (oscillation parallel); and use the wave equation v = fλ

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Labels a wave diagram with amplitude, wavelength, crest, and trough
Distinguishes transverse and longitudinal waves and gives an example of each
Uses v = fλ to calculate wave speed, frequency, or wavelength given the other two
Explains what happens to wavelength if frequency increases while wave speed stays constant

🖨 Print this page to keep the checklist — it prints beautifully.

Try this together

If your child was asked to describe a wave and how fast it travels, could they sketch one, label the wavelength and amplitude, and use the wave equation to work out speed from the frequency and wavelength?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Wave Behaviour Vocabularyages 9–11Describing waves in terms of amplitude, wavelength, and frequency requires these exact terms

Waves & How They Moveages 9–10Wave properties and the wave equation build directly on the wave model (amplitude, wavelength, frequency) introduced in upper KS2/early secondary

Vibrations & Soundages 6–9Vibrating materials producing sound is a concrete anchor for understanding wave motion

Wave Properties & Typesthis skill · ages 11–12

Unlocks

How Sound Waves Travelages 11–12Describing sound as a longitudinal pressure wave requires the general wave properties framework

The Electromagnetic Spectrumages 12–13The electromagnetic spectrum is understood as a family of transverse waves — requires the general wave properties framework

Waves & Different Materialsages 12–13Wave interactions with materials (absorption, transmission, reflection) require the wave properties framework

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

This skill sits outside the F–6 Australian Curriculum — no candidate code matched (v0.1). No NSW K–6 outcome code matched (v0.1). No Victorian Curriculum 2.0 code matched (v0.1).

Nearby on the map

How Sound Waves Travelages 11–12 Reflection & Refractionages 11–12 White Light & Colourages 11–12 Drawing Ray Diagramsages 12–13

All Waves, Light & Sound skills →