P3/4 science

Light and Shadows

1. (a) How is a shadow formed? [1m]

(b) List two factors that affect the size of a shadow formed on a screen. [2m]

Look at the list of objects and materials below.

torchlight cellophane paper chiffon cardboard

frosted glass oil lamp firefly tracing paper
aluminium foil car windscreen magnifying glass lens star
cling wrap wooden door mirror moon

(c) Using a suitable classification table, classify the above objects/materials into separate
groups. Label each group accurately. [4m]

moon
cardboard tracing paper star
mirror chiffon magnifying glass lens firefly
wooden door cellophane paper car windscreen oil lamp
aluminium foil frosted glass cling wrap torchlight
• The distance between the object and the screen 
Opaque Translucent Transparent Light source
1. (b) • The distance between the light source and the object
Objects / Materials an opaque object or partially blocked by a translucent object. 
1. (c) Answers:  1. (a) A shadow is formed when light is completely blocked by

Taken from Science Process Skills Lower Block 3/4

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 P3/4 science

Light and Shadows

1. When light enters the camera lens, it comes into contact with the photographic film, causing
an image to be captured on the film. A pin-hole camera works on the same principle.

Sally made a toy pin-hole camera as shown below.

cardboard box with a small

hole cut out in front to allow
object light to enter

the back of the box has been

replaced with a sheet of tracing
hole paper to act as a screen

(a) Based on the rays of light from the object to the screen, draw in the space below the
image seen on the screen. (Hint: Look carefully at where the rays of light from the top
and bottom of the object end up on the screen.) [2m]

(b) Describe the image formed on the screen. [1m]

(c) How will the image be affected if the object is moved further away from the pin-hole
camera? [1m]

1. (b) It is upside down (inverted) and smaller in size than the actual object.  1. (c) The image formed will be even smaller in size. Answers:  1. (a)

Taken from Science Process Skills Lower Block 3/4

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 P3/4 science

Light and Shadows

1. (a) A ray of light is shone from a torch and it hits a polished metallic surface.
Draw a clearly labelled diagram in the space below to illustrate this. [2m]

(b) The polished metallic surface is replaced by a sheet of paper.

Draw a clearly labelled diagram to show how the rays of light hitting the paper are
reflected. [2m]

(c) Account for the different observations in (a) and (b). [2m]

sheet of paper

1. (b)
results in having no clear reflection formed.
of light hitting the paper is reflected at a different angle. This polished metallic surface
rough and uneven when viewed under a microscope. Each ray
results in a clear reflection. However, a sheet of paper is quite
reflected at the same angle as the incident ray of light. This
reflected ray incident ray Answers:  1. (a)
1. (c) When light shines on a smooth, polished surface, it is

Taken from Science Process Skills Lower Block 3/4

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 P3/4 science

Light and Shadows

1. The incomplete graph below shows the changes in the length of a shadow of a tree throughout
a sunny day.

Length of tree/m
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0 Time of day
9 am

(a) Complete the graph above with [2m]

(i) a line to indicate how the height of the shadow continues to change throughout the
day.

(ii) the missing times on the horizontal ‘Time of day’ axis.

(b) Why does the length of the shadow change throughout the day? [1m]

(c) At what time of the day is the shadow the shortest and why? [1m]

(ii)
9 am 10am 11am 12pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm
Time of day 0
1
2
3
4
overhead in the sky. 5
1. (c) The shadow is shortest at 12 noon when the sun is directly 6
it moves from the east to the west in the sky. 7
1. (b) This is due to the apparent change in position of the sun as (i) 8
Length of tree/m Answers:  1. (a)

Taken from Science Process Skills Lower Block 3/4

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