Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
New
New
Year 7

Shadows

I can describe what happens when light travels and how shadows can form.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 7

Shadows

I can describe what happens when light travels and how shadows can form.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Transparent objects transmit light (let light travel through them). Opaque objects do not transmit light through them.
  2. Light travels in straight lines at an extremely high speed, spreading out as it travels.
  3. Light rays are straight arrows added to diagrams to show the direction that some light is travelling.
  4. A shadow is an unlit area in the shape of an object that is blocking light.

Common misconception

Pupils sometimes think light is made up from light rays (small thing 'pieces' of light). Pupils may also think shadows are objects, reflections or that shadows are always black.

Light rays are just arrows showing the direction some light travels, like arrows on a map showing a route. Leave what light is (oscillating electric & magnetic fields) to KS4. Shadows are unlit areas that look dark compared to lit surroundings.

Keywords

  • Transparent - describes materials that you can clearly see through because they let light pass through them

  • Transmit - if light passes through a material, we say that material transmits light

  • Opaque - describes materials you can’t see through at all, as these materials do not let any light pass through them

  • Light ray - an arrow added to a diagram to show the direction that some light is travelling

  • Shadow - an unlit area in the shape of an object that is blocking light

The lesson contains many photographs that could be demonstrated live in the classroom. A laser could be used to show how light travels in straight lines. The activity 'PSL1.2 RA Laser Shadow' from the Best Evidence Science Teaching resources can demonstrate how this causes shadows to form.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

Skip video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
It is completely dark inside a room. Which of the following statements explains why?
The light in the room is black.
Correct answer: There is no light in the room.
The darkness in the room cancels out the light.
Q2.
Which of the following statements explains how we can see an object?
Light from our eyes reaches the object.
Light from our eyes reaches the object and returns to our eyes.
Correct answer: Light from the object reaches our eyes.
Light from the object reaches our eyes and returns to the object.
Q3.
A person stands in a room and looks into a mirror. They can see the room in the mirror. Which of the following statements explains why?
There is another, identical room behind the mirror.
Correct answer: Light from the room bounces off the mirror and into our eyes.
The mirror takes a picture of the room, like a camera, and then displays it.
The mirror is controlled by an app that makes it show a picture of the room.
Q4.
Which of the following is a word meaning ‘what we see in a mirror’?
eclipse
shadow
Correct answer: reflection
echo
Q5.
Which of the following correctly describes what a shadow is?
Darkness that comes out of an object.
A dark area that is attached to an object.
Correct answer: A dark area due to an object blocking light.
Q6.
Which of the following statements is correct?
Red objects have red shadows.
Correct answer: Larger objects have larger shadows.
The shadow of an object is always the same size as the object.

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following statements about light rays are correct?
Correct answer: Light rays are straight.
Light is made up of light rays.
Light rays show how bright the light is.
Correct answer: Light rays point in the direction that light travels.
Light rays show all of the light coming from an object.
Q2.
Which of the following statements are correct?
It takes no time for light to travel from an object to your eyes.
Correct answer: Light travels extremely fast.
Correct answer: Most surfaces reflect some light.
Most surfaces do not reflect light.
Q3.
Why does a lamp look dimmer when you are farther away from it?
Correct answer: Less light from the lamp reaches your eyes.
White light changes to grey light as it travels.
Correct answer: The further light travels, the more it spreads out.
The darkness between you and the lamp cancels out some of the lamplight.
The darkness between you and the lamp absorbs (soaks up) some of the lamplight.
Q4.
Match each of the following words with its definition.
Correct Answer:opaque,describes materials you cannot see through at all

describes materials you cannot see through at all

Correct Answer:transmitting,letting light pass through

letting light pass through

Correct Answer:translucent,material that lets light pass but you can’t see through it clearly

material that lets light pass but you can’t see through it clearly

Correct Answer:transparent,material you can see through clearly

material you can see through clearly

Q5.
Which of the following statements correctly describe why some objects have shadows?
Correct answer: Some objects are opaque.
Correct answer: Light travels in straight lines.
Some objects change the colour of light.
Some objects change the direction of light.
Q6.
Which of the following explains why the shadow of a tree on the ground moves during a sunny day?
The distance between the tree and the Sun changes.
The distance between the ground and the Sun changes.
The shadow is always on the same side of the tree from the Sun.
Correct answer: The shadow is always on the opposite side of the tree from the Sun.