Properties of Light
Reflection or Refraction or Both
Light and Materials
The Visible Spectrum
Light in Action
100
Light can do three things when it hits an object: it can be absorbed, transmitted, or this.
Reflected
100
A mirror shows your face because it does this to light.
Reflect
100
Objects that let all light pass through are called this.
transparent
100
When light passes through a prism, the white light separates into this.
A rainbow (ROYGBIV) Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet
100
The Sun is our main source of this kind of energy.
Light energy
200
When light bends as it passes through water or glass. it's called this.
Refraction
200
A straw looks bent when it's in a glass of water because light is doing this.
Refracting
200
Objects that let some light pass through are called this.
translucent
200
The color you see depends on which colors of light are doing this.
reflecting back to your eye
200
When you see your reflection in water, it's because of this property of light.
reflection
300
This clear object bends light so that it can focus an image or make it appear larger (glasses, microscope, telescope, binoculars)
a convex or concaved lens
300
When light passes from air to water, it slows down and changes direction because of this property of light.
Refraction
300
The dark shape formed when an opaque object blocks light is called.
shadow
300
When white light hits a black object, all colors are doing this.
Being absorbed
300
When light bounces off a mirror it will reflect in the _________.
Same opposite angle
400
A beam of light hits a mirror at a 30° angle.
At what angle will the light reflect off the mirror, and what law of light behavior does this demonstrate?
It will reflect off the mirror at the same 30° angle but in the opposite direction.
This shows the Law of Reflection — the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
400
Caleb puts a spoon in a glass of juice and notices the spoon looks bent or broken. What causes the pencil to appear this way, and what is happening to the light?
The spoon looks bent because of refraction — light bends as it moves from air to water, changing direction and making the pencil appear in a different place.
400
Maria shines a flashlight at a mirror on the wall. The light hits the mirror and bounces back toward her face.
What property of light does this show, and why can Maria see the light beam return toward her?
This shows reflection — light bounces off shiny, smooth surfaces like mirrors. The light travels back in a straight line to Maria’s eyes so she can see it.
400
When white light shines through a prism, a rainbow appears on the wall.
Explain what happens to the light and why the colors separate.
White light is made up of many colors. The prism refracts (bends) each wavelength of light at a different angle, separating the colors of the visible spectrum.
400
Two students leave black and white T-shirts in the sunlight for 10 minutes. When they touch them, the black shirt feels much warmer than the white one.
What property of light explains this, and why did the black shirt get hotter?
This shows absorption — darker colors absorb more light energy and turn it into heat, while lighter colors reflect most of the light away.
500
Light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object or travels through one medium to another, and that light can be reflected, refracted or absorbed.
Think of an example that shows both reflection and refraction of light.
The water droplets in vapor cause a rainbow or a bubble floating on a sunny day shows rainbow colors and you can see the reflection of your hand as you try to pop it.
500
Classify the pictures as absorbing, reflecting, or refracting, or more than one.
Refracting, reflecting, both reflecting and refracting.
500
What causes us to see the mountains reflected in the water?
The light reflects both off the mountains to our eyes and off the water to our eyes.
500
Dash wore a blue shirt today. Carlie said Dashes shirt is blue because when light hits it the light passes through and refracts it. Delton says Dash's shirt is blue because the blue light that hits it is absorbed. Loriah says that Dash's shirt is blue because all colors other than blue are absorbed and blue is the only color reflected back to our eye. Who is right?
Loriah is right because we see Dash's shirt as blue because his shirt has absorbed all colors other than blue which has been reflected back to our eyes.