Waves: Light & SoundGrade 6 Science for Kids

Types of waves, the electromagnetic spectrum and the colors of light.

Waves: Light & Sound helps sixth graders sort transverse and longitudinal waves, line up the electromagnetic spectrum and compare the wavelengths of different colors. Wave physics made visual and interactive.

  • Grade 6 · Ages 11–12
  • 3 lessons
  • 3 experiments
  • 12 practice questions
  • About 25 min
Start Learning Free Open the Course
  • Types of Waves
  • Wave Sort
  • The Electromagnetic Spectrum
  • Spectrum Line-Up
  • Colors and Wavelength
  • Color Ruler

Science lab course · Grade 6

Waves: Light & Sound · Learning goals

What Your Child Will Learn

Sort transverse and longitudinal waves, line up the electromagnetic spectrum, and compare the wavelengths of different colors.

  • Waves carry energy. Transverse waves move up and down; longitudinal waves squeeze and stretch.
  • Electromagnetic waves go from long radio waves to short X-rays. Visible light is only a small part.
  • Each color of light has its own wavelength. Red is longest and violet is shortest.

Why it matters

Why This Matters for Kids

  • Waves are everywhere

    Light, sound, radio and microwaves are all waves that carry energy.

  • The electromagnetic spectrum

    Kids learn how X-rays, Wi-Fi and visible light are related.

  • Color science

    Wavelength explains rainbows and why the sky is blue.

Inside Waves: Light & Sound

How the Course Works

Each level has a short read-aloud lesson, an interactive experiment and a mini quiz.

  1. Step 1 · Lesson

    Types of Waves

    A wave carries energy from place to place without carrying matter along.

  2. Step 2 · Experiment

    Wave Sort

    Let's look at how each wave moves. Is it transverse (up and down) or longitudinal (squeeze and stretch)?

  3. Step 3 · Lesson

    The Electromagnetic Spectrum

    Light is one kind of electromagnetic wave. There are many others we can't see!

  4. Step 4 · Experiment

    Spectrum Line-Up

    Let's line up electromagnetic waves from the longest wavelength to the shortest.

  5. Step 5 · Lesson

    Colors and Wavelength

    White light is made of all the colors of the rainbow.

  6. Step 6 · Experiment

    Color Ruler

    Let's split light with a prism and measure the wavelength of each color.

Lesson preview

A Peek Inside the Lesson

This is the real lesson text your child hears, read aloud by a friendly voice.

Types of Waves

A wave carries energy from place to place without carrying matter along.

In transverse waves, things move up and down while the wave moves forward, like a shaken rope.

In longitudinal waves, things squeeze and stretch in the same direction, like sound or a pushed spring.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Light is one kind of electromagnetic wave. There are many others we can't see!

Radio waves have the longest wavelengths. X-rays and gamma rays have very short ones.

Microwaves heat food, infrared feels warm and ultraviolet can sunburn you.

Colors and Wavelength

White light is made of all the colors of the rainbow.

Each color has its own wavelength, measured in nanometers (nm).

Red has the longest wavelength we can see. Violet has the shortest.

For parents

Try It at Home

Learning sticks best when kids use it in real life. Here are simple ideas from this course.

Parent Tip

Make a wave with a long rope or slinky. Show side-to-side waves and push-pull waves, and talk about which is like sound.

Wave Sort

  1. Tie a rope to a door handle and flick it up and down: transverse.
  2. Stretch a spring toy on the floor and push one end: longitudinal.
  3. Watch how each one moves.

Waves carry energy. Transverse waves move up and down; longitudinal waves squeeze and stretch.

Spectrum Line-Up

  1. Point a TV remote at a phone camera and press a button.
  2. The camera can see the infrared light your eyes can't!
  3. Look for other invisible waves in your home: Wi-Fi, radio, microwave.

Electromagnetic waves go from long radio waves to short X-rays. Visible light is only a small part.

Color Ruler

  1. Shine a flashlight through a glass of water onto white paper in a dark room.
  2. Or tilt a CD under a lamp.
  3. Which color is always on the outer edge?

Each color of light has its own wavelength. Red is longest and violet is shortest.

Practice

Grade 6 Science Practice Questions

Real questions from Waves: Light & Sound. Try them with your child, then tap to see the answer.

  1. Question 1

    What does a wave carry?

    • A.Energy
    • B.Water only
    • C.Rocks
    Show answer

    Energy

  2. Question 2

    Which has the longest wavelength?

    • A.X-rays
    • B.Radio waves
    • C.Ultraviolet
    Show answer

    Radio waves

  3. Question 3

    Which visible color has the longest wavelength?

    • A.Violet
    • B.Blue
    • C.Red
    Show answer

    Red

The full course has 12 questions with instant feedback, stars and rewards. Create a free account to play them all.

Waves: Light & Sound · Questions from parents

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this course for?

Waves: Light & Sound is a grade 6 science course for kids ages 11–12. That is Year 7 science in the UK and Year 6 in Australia. It also works well for review in the next grade, or as a challenge for a confident younger learner.

What will my child learn?

Sort transverse and longitudinal waves, line up the electromagnetic spectrum, and compare the wavelengths of different colors. Along the way they practice: Waves carry energy. Transverse waves move up and down; longitudinal waves squeeze and stretch; Electromagnetic waves go from long radio waves to short X-rays. Visible light is only a small part; Each color of light has its own wavelength. Red is longest and violet is shortest.

How long does the course take?

About 25 minutes in total, split into 3 short levels. Most kids finish it over two or three sessions. Progress is saved, so they can stop any time and pick up where they left off.

Is this course free?

Waves: Light & Sound is part of SkillBloom Premium, which unlocks every course in every subject. Each subject also has free courses, so your child can try SkillBloom before you decide.

Does my child need to read well to use it?

No. Every lesson has a friendly read-aloud voice, questions are read aloud too, and the pictures help kids follow along. Confident readers can turn the voice off.

Can we use it for homeschool?

Yes. SkillBloom is built for homeschooling families. Kids work through lessons, games and quizzes on their own, and the parent dashboard shows what they finished and which skills need more practice. It works on phones, tablets and laptops.

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