Grade 4 · Science · Physical science

4th Grade Waves, Light, and Sound worksheets

6 printable versionsOn LevelAbout 5 minutes eachFree · no account

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

★

Tired of searching for worksheets?

We’ll email one free Grade 4 worksheet every school day. Your child does it on paper. No account needed.

Version

Waves, Light, and Sound

Grade 4 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the answer.

1.
How do you see a red apple on a table in a lit room?
- light bounces off the apple into your eyes
- your eyes send light out to the apple
- the apple makes its own light
- light goes from your eyes to the lamp
2.
A tsunami wave is only about 1 meter tall at sea but very long. Near shore it grows very tall. What happens to its energy?
- it disappears in the deep ocean
- it turns into light near the shore
- it crowds into a taller wave near shore
- it moves into the sea floor forever
3.
What is the lowest point of a wave called?
- the trough
- the crest
- the amplitude
- the peak
4.
Sam throws a pebble into a pond. Rings of waves spread out. What do the waves carry?
- energy
- the pebble
- sand from the bottom
- all the pond water
5.
A sound gets quieter as you walk away from a speaker. What is happening to the waves that reach you?
- they are turning into light
- they have more energy
- their wavelength disappears
- they have less energy and smaller amplitude

4th Grade Waves, Light, and Sound worksheet 1 – printable PDF — Download PDF: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

Waves, light, and sound models help students explain patterns they can observe but not always see directly asks fourth graders to connect observations with an explanation, model, or design decision instead of choosing a fact from memory. Students may confuse a wave property with a material property, or think eyes send out light instead of receiving reflected light from objects. This worksheet uses short investigations and evidence-based situations so students must read what happened, decide which science idea is being tested, and choose the answer that fits the title.

Students interpret amplitude and wavelength, model how reflected light lets us see, and compare sound or light patterns used to transfer information. Support versions use familiar objects and direct wording. Standard and challenge versions add closer distractors, fair-test language, and multi-step evidence. Ask your child to point to the measurement, diagram, map, or observation before answering. If the choice does not explain the evidence in the prompt, it is probably a distractor. That habit keeps science reasoning tied to data rather than guesswork.

What your child will learn

Model wave patterns
Relate wave properties to observations
Explain how reflected light enters the eye
Use patterns to transfer information

NGSS standard: 4-PS4-1

Worked example

A drum sound with larger amplitude is louder, while seeing the drum requires light reflecting from it into the eye.

Common mistake

Saying the eye shines light onto objects instead of receiving reflected light.

Helpful hint

Match the model to the observation: wave pattern, reflected light, or information signal.

Next skill: Simple Circuits Earlier: Energy and Motion

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with waves, light, and sound?

Saying the eye shines light onto objects instead of receiving reflected light.

How can I help my child with waves, light, and sound?

Match the model to the observation: wave pattern, reflected light, or information signal.

Are these 4th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

More 4th grade physical science

See all physical science

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records