Science Fenns K-5Grades K to 5
A child on a porch at dusk with a flashlight beam on the wall and a drum on the floor, fireflies in the yard.

Science / All lessons / Energy All Around

Light and Sound

Two kinds of energy you sense every minute.

Lesson 19 of 41

Try this first

Before we start

Today’s story

Light and Sound

Lena clicks on a flashlight. A beam jumps across the yard. She bangs a pot lid. A loud clang follows. Light came to her eyes. Sound came to her ears.

Both are energy. Light lets you see. Sound lets you hear. You cannot hold either one in your hand, but they do things.

Energy is what makes things happen. The steps show these two kinds.

See it

Five steps. Every time.

    Hands on

    Make light and sound

    20 minutes · Do this with a grown-up nearby

    You need

    • A flashlight
    • A rubber band
    • An empty box
    • A ruler
    • A dark room or a cardboard box

    Do this

    1. Shine the flashlight on a wall.
    2. Stretch the rubber band around the box.
    3. Pluck it and listen.
    4. Touch the band gently while it makes a sound.
    5. Press the ruler on a table edge and twang it.
    6. Notice what shakes.
    7. Record light sources and sound sources.
    Write or draw: A two-column list: light, sound.

    Watch for: Notice that a sound stops when you hold the shaking thing still.

    Safety: Never look straight at the Sun or a bright beam. Pluck gently.

    Same every time

    Three rules

    Rule 1Light helps you see.

    Without light, a room is dark.

    Rule 2Sound comes from shaking.

    Stop the shaking and the sound stops.

    Rule 3Both carry energy.

    They can make things happen.

    Grandpa Fenn’s notebook

    Say it like a scientist

    energy
    What makes things happen or change.
    light
    Energy that lets us see.
    sound
    Energy we hear, made by shaking.

    Poppy’s quiz

    Six questions

    Tap an answer. Green means right. You will see why.

    Talk about it

    Say it out loud

    • How do you know a rubber band makes sound? What did you feel or see?
    • What sounds and lights do you notice at home at night?
    Did you know

    Light travels much faster than sound, which is why you see lightning before you hear thunder.

    Someone who does this

    A sound engineer uses sound and light to set up a concert.

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