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Making Shadows

Science project light and shadow

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Shweta
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7 views

Making Shadows

Science project light and shadow

Uploaded by

Shweta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Science

Light

Year One
Science | Year 3 | Light | Making Shadows | Lesson 5
Aim
• I can investigate which materials block light to form shadows.

Success Criteria
• I can explain how light travels.
• I can sort different materials according to whether they are opaque,
transparent or translucent.
• I can use these materials in an investigation into different shadows.
Light
Light is a beam of energy that travels in a wave from
a source.
A wave of light can only travel in a straight line.
Waves of light are called light rays.

Try this activity to demonstrate how light travels:


• Punch holes in the centre of three equal-sized
pieces of card.
• Hold the pieces of card so that the holes line up.
• Shine a torch so that the beam of light can travel
straight through the holes.

What happens if you move one of the pieces of


card so the holes don't line up?

Try this experiment before moving on to the next


slide.
Blocking Light
When you moved one of your pieces of card so the holes did not line up,
the card blocked the ray of light. This is because light can only travel in a
straight line, so it can not travel around the card.

Some objects, like the card, block light well and don't let any get through.
These objects are called opaque.

Other things let some light through, but scatter the light so we can't see
through them properly. These things are called translucent.
Transparent objects let light travel through them easily.

Can you think of some items that are opaque, translucent and
transparent?
Look around your house for ideas! Make three lists in your book.
What’s the Use?

Opaque, translucent and transparent materials are all useful for different
things. Look at the items below and decide which type of material would be
best for each one:
Write a sentence for each one to explain your choice.

bathroom window living room curtains car windscreen

window with a
sun hat shower curtain
lovely view
Making Shadows

Opaque objects do not let


any light through.

They completely block the


light and stop it travelling
any further.

These objects create


shadows.

Shadows are areas of


darkness where light has
been blocked.
Choosing Materials
This is Isaac.

He has a new baby sister.


She is a very good baby, but she keeps crying early in the
morning because too much light is getting into her
bedroom and waking her up.
Isaac wants to choose the best material to make some
new curtains for her bedroom.

He wants to make sure that her new curtains block as


much light as possible.

Can you help him?


Choosing Materials
Ask an adult to help you find some different
materials and test them. Try: paper, foil,
greaseproof paper, different fabrics etc.

You will test how well each one blocks light by


shining a torch onto it and seeing if it makes a
dark shadow. If it does, it is opaque and may
be a good choice for the new curtains.

Decide whether each material you test is opaque, translucent or


transparent. Write down your results.
Which Material Is Best?
Draw a window and stick your
Now you have tested all the choice of material on as curtains
materials, you need to choose then label them to show which
which material is best for Isaac to
material they are made out of.
make the curtains out of. Write a message to Isaac to
explain to him why you chose this
material.
Think about how you could tell it
blocked light and why this would
be useful.
Aim
• I can investigate which materials block light to form shadows.

Success Criteria
• I can explain how light travels.
• I can sort different materials according to whether they are opaque,
transparent or translucent.
• I can use these materials in an investigation into different shadows.

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