How we see things?

: Shadows Raffia
Grade 6– Spring 2020 Lecture 02-Shadows
The City School Apr-13-20

Shadows
Objectives
1. Identify factors which might affect the
size and position of the shadow of an
object
2. Recognise differences between
shadows and reflections
3. Periscope
Brainstorming Exercise
 Changing Length and position of
shadow
• Shine a torch at an object from different
positions. As the position of the torch
changes, what do you notice about the
position and the length of the shadow
formed? (Textbook, p.172)
 Think about it?
• People cast shadows on the ground because
they block the sunlight.
• Are the shadows formed of the same length
and at the same position during different
• times of the day?
• Which time of the day is the shadow formed
the shortest?
 Size and position of shadow
• The closer an object is to the source of light,
the larger the shadow it casts. This is because
the closer an object is to the light source,
the greater area of the light the object will
block, increasing shadow size.
• Alternatively, the further an object is located
from the light source the less area it will block,
leading to a smaller shadow being cast.
 Size and position of shadow
• Another factor in shadow length is angle of
the light source. The closer to horizontal the
angle is relative to the object casting the
shadow, the longer the shadow will be.
Oppositely, the closer the light source is to
completely vertical, relative to the object, the
smaller the shadow will be cast
 Textbook, p.174-Think About It
Sara is walking towards a street lamp at night.
a. A shadow of Sara is formed on the ground when
she walks towards the lamp. Why is a shadow
formed?
b. Is the shadow formed in front of or behind Sara as
she walks towards the street lamp?
c. How does the length of her shadow change as she
walks nearer and nearer to the street lamp?
d. Sara walks past the street lamp. Is her shadow
formed in front of her or behind her after she has
passed the lamp?
Textbook, p.175-Shape of Shadow
• An object can cast different shadows
depending upon how you position it.
Try It Out – Choose three items of different shapes such
as a ball, a cup or a hoopla hoop.
Do the following in groups of five:
a. Predict the shapes of the shadows which these objects
can make.
b. Predict whether the shadow will appear bigger or
smaller as you move the light source closer to the object.

c. Use these objects to cast shadows on a wall in a dark

room and check whether your predictions are correct
 Why shadows are formed?
• Activity To find out why shadows are formed, get a short water
hose (about 40 cm-50 cm long) which is made of an
opaque material.

•Place a lighted torch at one end of the hose and look

through the straight water hose.

•Can you see the torchlight? Bend the water hose into an
S-shape. Place the torch at one end of the hose.

•Look through the hose again at the other end. Can you see
the torchlight? What do your observations tell you about
the way light travels?
 Why shadows are formed?
• Shadows are formed because light rays travels in a
straight line, and they cannot bend round the corners
of the objects.
• The shape of the shadow is also the same as the shape
of the object because light travels in a straight line
path
 Difference between shadow and
reflection?
• Please watch the video in the link and
differentiate between shadow and reflection;
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO99GH
nJGWA
 Have you wondered?
1. How can you see things which are not at
your height?
2. How can submariner look at the surface of
water when the submarine is inside water?
 Periscope
•A simple periscope is just a long tube with
a mirror at each end.
•The mirrors are fitted into each end of the
tube at an angle of exactly 45 degrees
(45°) so that they face each other.
•In the periscope, light hits the top mirror at
45° and reflects away at the same angle.
•The light then bounces down to the
bottom mirror.
•When that reflected light hits the second
mirror it is reflected again at 45°, right into
your eye.
 Periscope
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prxP0rN
maSA
 Homework
• Investigate the change in size of shadows
(Workbook activities 9.5A and 9.5B)
• Shape of Shadow (Workbook activity 9.6)