Light Basics
What is light?
A form of energy that travels in waves and lets us see things.
What happens when light bounces off a shiny surface?
Reflection.
light is taken in by an object instead of being reflected or passed through.
Absorption
What helps you see your reflection in the morning?
A mirror.
Which travels faster light or sound?
Light.
Does light travel in straight lines or curves?
Straight lines.
What is it called when light bends as it passes through water or glass?
Refraction.
light bounces off particles in many different directions instead of traveling in a straight line.
Scattering
Why is the sky blue?
Scattering.
What 3 things can happen when light hits anobject?
Reflection, Absorption, Transmission
What is the main source of natural light on Earth?
The Sun.
Why does a straw in a glass of water look bent?
Because of refraction.
What kind of material lets all light pass through?
Transparent
Sunlight coming through your glass window in your house?
Transparent
Why do we see our shadow when we stand in sunlight?
Because our body blocks the light, stopping it from reaching the ground... the dark area behind us is our shadow.
What happens to light when an object blocks it?
It creates a shadow.
happens on shiny, flat surfaces (like mirrors or calm water) where light bounces in one direction, creating a clear image.
Specular
What kind of material lets some light through but not all?
Translucent
When wearing a black shirt why do you feel hotter outside compared to white shirts.
Black shirts absorb more sunlight.
How does light help us see color?
Light helps us see color because color comes from light itself!
Why can’t we see light until it hits something?
Because light travels in straight lines and is invisible until it reflects off an object and enters our eyes.
happens on uneven surfaces (like walls or paper) where light scatters in many directions, so no clear image forms.
Diffuse
What kind of material does not let any light through?
Opaque
Why can you see a rainbow after it rains?
Because sunlight bends and reflects inside water droplets, separating the colors.
What would happen if there were no light at all?