Waves: Light and Sound Worksheets

Grade 4 Science 12 Printable Worksheets 100% FREE

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Grade 4 scientists explore two amazing kinds of energy that travel as waves: sound and light. Sound is made when something vibrates. A guitar string, a vocal cord, or a drumhead shakes back and forth and pushes air particles. Those bumping particles carry the sound wave through air, water, or even solid walls until the wave reaches our ears. Light works a little differently. Light comes from a source like the sun, a lamp, a candle, or a screen. It travels outward as waves at incredible speed and bounces off objects so our eyes can see them. Every wave, whether sound or light, has three properties Grade 4 students measure: wavelength is the distance between two peaks, amplitude is the height of the wave, and frequency is how many waves pass in one second. Bigger amplitude means louder sound or brighter light. Higher frequency means higher pitch or bluer color. Waves also interact with materials in three big ways. They can reflect (bounce off mirrors and walls, making echoes for sound), absorb (sink into dark surfaces and become heat), or refract (bend through water, lenses, and prisms). Understanding these ideas helps Grade 4 learners explain rainbows, echoes, shadows, glasses, and music, all part of NGSS standard 4-PS4.

Worksheet Preview

Browse all 12 printable worksheets below — click any card to open the full page.

Easy

Part A: Fix the Sentence

Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.

Part B: Fill in the Blank

Write the missing word or number on each line.

1. When an object

2. A sound with a very high pitch comes from vibrations that happen

3. When you bang a drum hard, the bigger vibration makes the sound

4. Sound cannot travel in outer space because there are no

Part C: Short Answer

Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Waves: Light and Sound

Easy

Part A: Fix the Sentence

Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.

Part B: Fill in the Blank

Write the missing word or number on each line.

1. The sun, a lamp, and a candle flame are all examples of a light

2. We see a red apple because light bounces off the apple and into our

3. A clear glass window is

4. Frosted bathroom glass is

Part C: Short Answer

Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Waves: Light and Sound

Easy

Part A: Fix the Sentence

Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.

Part B: Fill in the Blank

Write the missing word or number on each line.

1. In Grade 4, the thin skin inside your ear that vibrates with sound is called the

2. Grade 4 science: our eyes detect

3. The

4. A nerve message traveling from the ear to the brain is called a

Part C: Short Answer

Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Waves: Light and Sound

Easy

Part A: Fix the Sentence

Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.

Part B: Fill in the Blank

Write the missing word or number on each line.

1. In Grade 4 science, the waves that carry songs to a car speaker are called

2. Grade 4: a hospital uses

3. The ocean uses water

4. Grade 4 students know that

Part C: Short Answer

Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Waves: Light and Sound

Medium

Part A: Fill in the Blank

Write the missing word or number on each line.

1. The distance from one wave peak to the next peak is called the

2. The height of a wave from the middle line up to the top is called the

3. The number of waves that pass a point in one second is the wave's

4. A drum hit very softly makes a sound wave with a small

5. A flute note that is very high in pitch has a

6. Two sound waves with the same wavelength but different amplitudes will sound the same in pitch but different in

7. On a wave diagram, the lowest point of the wave is called a

8. Light waves that have a short wavelength and high frequency look more

9. When a vibration sends out energy that travels through air or water, that moving energy is called a

Part B: Matching

Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.

1. Match each item to its correct answer.

Wavelength

→

Distance from one peak to the next peak

Amplitude

→

Height of the wave from middle to top

Frequency

→

Number of waves per second

Crest

→

The very top point of a wave

Waves: Light and Sound

Medium

Part A: Fill in the Blank

Write the missing word or number on each line.

1. A whisper is quieter than a shout because the whisper's sound wave has a smaller

2. A tiny mouse squeak has a

3. A bright flashlight sends out light waves with a larger

4. Red light has a longer wavelength than blue light, so red has a

5. When you shake a jump rope slowly, you make

6. A sound wave with the same amplitude but a shorter wavelength will sound

7. Drumming your fingers gently on the desk makes a sound with a small

8. Light waves and sound waves both have wavelength, amplitude, and

9. A tuning fork that is hit harder vibrates with a bigger amplitude and makes a

Part B: Matching

Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.

1. Match each item to its correct answer.

Big amplitude in a sound wave

→

Loud sound

Big amplitude in a light wave

→

Bright light

Short wavelength of light

→

Bluer color

Short wavelength of sound

→

Higher pitch

Waves: Light and Sound

Medium

Part A: Fill in the Blank

Write the missing word or number on each line.

1. In Grade 4 science, light always travels

2. Grade 4 fact: sound waves travel

3. We see lightning before we hear thunder because the light reaches our eyes

4. The material a wave moves through is called the

5. Sound waves cannot travel through empty

6. Sound usually travels faster through

7. Counting seconds between lightning and thunder helps you guess how

8. The path of energy from a source to your senses can be called a

9. Sending a wave from one place to another is called

Part B: Matching

Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.

1. Match each item to its correct answer.

Grade 4: sound speed in air vs water

→

Faster in water

Grade 4: lightning then thunder

Material a wave moves through

Grade 4: vacuum of space

→

Sound cannot travel here

Waves: Light and Sound

Medium

Part A: Fill in the Blank

Write the missing word or number on each line.

1. In Grade 4 music science, a shorter guitar string makes a

2. Grade 4: a big drum with a wide head usually makes a

3. How fast a string vibrates each second is called its

4. A flute is a

5. Grade 4: tightening a guitar string makes the pitch go

6. The loudness of a sound wave is called its

7. When sound moves from the instrument to your ear, scientists call it

8. A long pipe organ tube usually plays a

9. Grade 4 students learn that pitch depends on the

Part B: Matching

Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.

1. Match each item to its correct answer.

Grade 4: short guitar string

→

Higher pitch

Grade 4: big bass drum

Grade 4: tighter string

→

Pitch goes up

Waves: Light and Sound

Hard

Part A: Multiple Choice

Circle the best answer for each question.

1. A Grade 4 student shines a flashlight at a flat mirror. What happens to most of the light?

2. Why does a black T-shirt feel hotter in the sun than a white T-shirt?

3. A pencil placed in a glass of water looks bent at the water line. What is happening?

4. Which Grade 4 example best shows light being mostly absorbed?

Part B: Fill in the Blank

Write the correct answer on each line.

1. When light bounces off a smooth surface and changes direction, that is called

2. When a dark surface takes in light energy and warms up, that is called

3. When light bends as it passes from air into water or through a lens, that is called

4. Sound can also reflect off a hard wall or cliff, and the reflected sound we hear is called an

5. Soft pillows and thick curtains help quiet a room because they

Waves: Light and Sound

Hard

Part A: Multiple Choice

Circle the best answer for each question.

1. A Grade 4 student yells in an empty gym and hears their voice come back. What is this called?

2. Which room would have the fewest echoes for a Grade 4 reading club?

3. A magnifying glass focuses sunlight into a small bright spot on paper. Which interaction is mainly happening?

4. A flashlight shines on a thick wooden door. What happens to the light?

Part B: Fill in the Blank

Write the correct answer on each line.

1. A bat finds bugs in the dark by sending out sound and listening for the

2. Recording studios put foam on the walls to

3. A camera lens is curved so it can

4. When sunlight hits snow, most of the light is

5. Frosted glass is translucent because it lets some light through but

Waves: Light and Sound

Hard

Part A: Multiple Choice

Circle the best answer for each question.

1. In Grade 4 science, what happens when white light passes through a glass prism?

2. Grade 4: the bending of light as it enters a new material is called what?

3. In Grade 4 lessons, a rainbow forms when sunlight hits which type of object in the air?

4. Grade 4 question: the full band of colors made from white light is called what?

Part B: Fill in the Blank

Write the correct answer on each line.

1. In Grade 4 science, a clear glass shape that splits white light into colors is called a

2. The bending of light when it enters water is called

3. Grade 4: the band of colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet is called the

4. A rainbow appears when sunlight passes through tiny

5. Light, color, and lenses are studied in the part of science called

Waves: Light and Sound

Hard

Part A: Multiple Choice

Circle the best answer for each question.

1. In Grade 4 science, what kind of waves do radios use to send music to listeners?

2. Grade 4: Morse code uses short and long ___ to spell out letters.

3. Grade 4 question: optical fibers are thin glass strands that carry information using what?

4. In Grade 4 lessons, a telephone changes your voice into a ___ that travels along wires.

Part B: Fill in the Blank

Write the correct answer on each line.

1. In Grade 4 science, the system of dots and dashes used to send messages is called

2. Grade 4: thin glass strings that carry pulses of light are called

3. Sending a message from a sender to a receiver is called

4. An electrical message that carries information through wires is called a

5. The act of sending a wave or signal between two places is called

Waves: Light and Sound

What's Included in This Download

12 Printable Pages covering waves: light and sound

Complete Answer Key for easy grading

Printer-Friendly Format in black & white

Variety of Activities to keep kids engaged

Common Core Aligned grade 4 standards

Instant PDF Download - no signup required

What You'll Learn

These waves: light and sound worksheets help grade 4 students develop essential science skills through engaging activities.

How to Use These Worksheets

Download & Print: Click the download button to get the PDF. Print on standard 8.5" x 11" paper.
Start Simple: Begin with easier pages before moving to more challenging activities.
Daily Practice: Dedicate 10-15 minutes each day for consistent learning.
Use Manipulatives: Pair worksheets with physical objects like blocks or counters.
Provide Encouragement: Celebrate progress and effort to build confidence.
Check Progress: Use the included answer key to review work together.

Common Mistakes to Watch For

Mixing up amplitude and frequency: Grade 4 students sometimes say a louder sound has a higher pitch. Remember, amplitude controls loudness/brightness, while frequency and wavelength control pitch/color.
Thinking the moon makes its own light: The moon is not a light source. Grade 4 learners should remember the sun is the source, and the moon only reflects sunlight back to Earth.
Believing sound can travel through empty space like in cartoons or movies: Sound needs particles (air, water, or a solid) to carry the vibration, so it cannot travel through the vacuum of outer space.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is sound?

Sound is energy that travels as a wave when something vibrates. A Grade 4 student can feel a speaker buzz or watch a guitar string blur because those vibrations push air particles, and the wave travels to our ears so we can hear.

What is light?

Light is energy that travels in waves from a source such as the sun, a lamp, or a flame. Grade 4 learners see objects when light bounces off them and enters the eye, where the brain turns the signal into an image.

What are wavelength, amplitude, and frequency?

Wavelength is the distance from one wave peak to the next. Amplitude is the wave's height, which controls volume in sound and brightness in light. Frequency is how many waves pass each second, controlling pitch in sound and color in light for Grade 4 science.

What does it mean to reflect, absorb, or refract?

Reflect means bounce off a surface, like light off a mirror or sound off a canyon wall (an echo). Absorb means soak in, like dark asphalt taking in sunlight as heat. Refract means bend, like light passing through water or a lens. Grade 4 students see all three every day.

Why can we hear sound underwater but not in space?

Sound needs a medium of particles to pass the vibration along. Water is full of particles, so sound waves can travel through it, which is why whales communicate underwater. Outer space is mostly empty, so there are no particles to carry sound, and a Grade 4 astronaut would hear silence.

Are these worksheets really free?

Yes! All our worksheets are 100% free to download and print. There's no subscription, no hidden fees, and no registration required.

Can I use these in my classroom?

Absolutely! Teachers are welcome to print and use these worksheets in their classrooms. Make as many copies as needed for your students.

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Waves: Light and Sound Worksheets

Worksheet Preview

What's Included in This Download

What You'll Learn

How to Use These Worksheets

Common Mistakes to Watch For

Frequently Asked Questions

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Worksheet Preview

What's Included in This Download

What You'll Learn

How to Use These Worksheets

Common Mistakes to Watch For

Frequently Asked Questions

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