Light Through Things
Aligned to 1-PS4-3 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Light can pass through some things and not others. Clear things let light through, and solid things block it and make a shadow.
Worked examples
Example 1
Shine a flashlight through a clear plastic cup and the light goes through. Shine it at your hand and the light stops, making a dark shadow.
Example 2
Frosted bathroom glass lets light through but blurs it, so you see brightness without seeing shapes.
Example 3
Your shadow is longest in the early morning and shortest at noon, because the sun sits at a different height in the sky.
Practice questions
- Hold a flashlight behind different things — a window, a book, a paper towel. Which let light through?
- Make a shadow on the wall with your hand. Does the light go through it?
- Look through wax paper, then clear plastic. Which one is easier to see through?
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
La luz a través de las cosas
La luz puede pasar a través de algunas cosas y de otras no. Las cosas transparentes dejan pasar la luz, y las cosas sólidas la bloquean y forman una sombra.
Ejemplo 1: Alumbra con una linterna a través de un vaso de plástico transparente y la luz pasa. Alúmbrate la mano y la luz se detiene, formando una sombra oscura.
Ejemplo 2: El vidrio esmerilado de un baño deja pasar la luz pero la difumina, así que ves claridad sin ver formas.
Ejemplo 3: Tu sombra es más larga temprano en la mañana y más corta al mediodía, porque el sol está a distinta altura en el cielo.
More Physical Science: Waves (Light & Sound) lessons
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