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Tall Waves and Close Waves is a free printable Grade 4 science worksheet on modelling waves in terms of amplitude and wavelength, aligned to Common Core standard 4-PS4-1. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 12 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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One paper per pupil

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Tall Waves and Close Waves

4-PS4-1

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.Why use a float rather than watching the water?
  • A.The float shows the movement at one place clearly
  • B.Water cannot be watched
  • C.Floats are colourful
2.A bigger paddle dip makes taller waves. What does that change?
  • A.The amplitude, which is the height of the wave
  • B.The colour
  • C.The wavelength
3.A float bobs up and down as waves pass. Does it travel along the tank?
  • A.Yes, it travels with the wave
  • B.No, it bobs up and down in one place
  • C.It sinks
4.Taller waves make the float bob more. What does that show?
  • A.Waves can make objects move, and bigger waves move them more
  • B.Floats are heavy
  • C.Waves are solid
5.Two waves have the same wavelength but different amplitudes. What differs?
  • A.How tall they are, and how much they move a float
  • B.How far apart they are
  • C.Nothing at all
6.What has to be kept the same when changing the paddle dip?
  • A.Nothing
  • B.The paddle speed must also change
  • C.The same tank, water and float
7.Which part of a wave is its amplitude?
  • A.Its speed
  • B.The gap between crests
  • C.Its height from the middle to the crest
8.Faster paddling makes waves closer together. What does that change?
  • A.The wavelength, which is the distance between waves
  • B.The depth
  • C.The amplitude

LessonPrint · 4-PS4-1 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Tall Waves and Close Waves

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.The float shows the movement at one place clearly
  2. 2.The amplitude, which is the height of the wave
  3. 3.No, it bobs up and down in one place
  4. 4.Waves can make objects move, and bigger waves move them more
  5. 5.How tall they are, and how much they move a float
  6. 6.The same tank, water and float
  7. 7.Its height from the middle to the crest
  8. 8.The wavelength, which is the distance between waves

More practice for 4-PS4-1

Model waves using amplitude and wavelength, and show they can move things.

Teaching this next? Tall Waves and Close Waves is the 55-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 4 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 4-PS4-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.