SCIENCE

Shadows and The Moon

How Shadows are Formed

 Light rays travel in a straight line.

 If light rays are blocked by an opaque object, a shadow is formed.
 A dark area is formed behind the object, it is called a shadow.
 Opaque means a solid object. You cannot see through it.
 Light rays travel in a straight line.
 An object in-front of light rays makes a shadow.
Change of shadows in relation to the sun

 Shadows change in size during the day.

 Shadows are long in the morning (sunrise) and in the evening (sunset).
 In winter too shadows are long.
 Shadows are shorter at mid-day (lunch or noon time). The sun will be at it’s
highest point in the sky.
 In the morning shadows lean (point) to the west.
 In the evening shadows lean (point) to the east.
 At noon/mid-day shadows make a small circle around any object.
 Long ago, people used shadows to tell time.
This clock is called a sundial.
Changes in the shape of the moon
 The moon does not make light.
 Its light is a reflection from the sun.
 The moon is not a star.
 The moon revolves (goes around) the earth.
 The moon moves across the sky once a day.
 It rises from the East and sets in the West.
 Every night we see a different shape and position of the moon.
 The changes in the shapes of the moon are called phases of the moon.
 The moon changes from a full moon (dark) to a new moon every 29.5 days

*Waxing
The moon shapes get bigger to the right.

*Waning
The moon shapes get smaller from the left.
 The part of the moon we see is facing the sun, so we see the light reflected
on it.
 When the moon is dark and we can’t see it is because it is fully facing the sun
so we see its shadow only.

Summary
 Light rays travel in a straight line.
 When light is blocked, a shadow is formed.
 Length and direction of shadows change as the sun’s position changes in the
sky.
 We can estimate time using the length and direction of the shadow.
 We can see the moon at night and sometimes during the day.
 Each night, the moon changes its position and shape.