ScienceAges 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Explore how light travels in straight lines, reflects from mirrors and forms shadows behind opaque objects. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

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Age band:Ages 7-9 Ages 10-12

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Why does a red apple appear red in white daylight: it reflects red light and absorbs other colours, or it absorbs only red light?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
2. What astronomical event occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth: a solar eclipse or a lunar eclipse?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
3. What happens when a beam of white sunlight passes through a triangular glass prism: dispersion splits it into a spectrum of colours, or it turns into sound?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
4. Which light-sensitive layer at the back of the human eye detects focused light and sends signals to the brain via the optic nerve: the retina or the earlobe?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
5. Does light require a material medium (like air) to travel, or can it travel through the vacuum of space?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
6. Why do people often wear light-coloured or white clothing in hot sunny weather: white surfaces reflect most sunlight and stay cooler, or white absorbs all heat?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
7. What type of lens is thicker in the middle than at the edges and brings parallel light rays together to a focal point: a convex (converging) lens or a concave lens?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
8. In which medium does light travel fastest: in a vacuum (space) or in diamond?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
9. How do we see a non-luminous object such as a printed book page: light from a source reflects off the page into our eyes, or our eyes send out beams?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
10. Which part of the human eye is the dark circular opening at the centre of the iris that lets light enter: the pupil or the eyebrow?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
11. Why can sound NOT travel through the vacuum of outer space whereas light can: sound is a mechanical wave that needs vibrating particles, or space is too cold?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
12. What astronomical event occurs when Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting Earth’s shadow onto the Moon: a lunar eclipse or a solar eclipse?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r

12 questions · Seed 104730 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Why does a red apple appear red in white daylight: it reflects red light and absorbs other colours, or it absorbs only red light?
It reflects red light and absorbs other colours
Pigments in the apple skin reflect red wavelengths to our eyes and absorb the rest of the spectrum.
2. What astronomical event occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth: a solar eclipse or a lunar eclipse?
Solar eclipse
During a solar eclipse, the Moon blocks sunlight from reaching part of Earth.
3. What happens when a beam of white sunlight passes through a triangular glass prism: dispersion splits it into a spectrum of colours, or it turns into sound?
Dispersion splits it into a spectrum of colours
Different wavelengths of light refract by slightly different angles, dispersing white light into a rainbow spectrum.
4. Which light-sensitive layer at the back of the human eye detects focused light and sends signals to the brain via the optic nerve: the retina or the earlobe?
Retina
Photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) in the retina convert light into nerve impulses.
5. Does light require a material medium (like air) to travel, or can it travel through the vacuum of space?
It can travel through the vacuum of space
Light is an electromagnetic wave and travels through vacuum at about 300,000 km/s.
6. Why do people often wear light-coloured or white clothing in hot sunny weather: white surfaces reflect most sunlight and stay cooler, or white absorbs all heat?
White surfaces reflect most sunlight and stay cooler
White and shiny surfaces reflect most incident radiation, whereas matt black surfaces absorb it.
7. What type of lens is thicker in the middle than at the edges and brings parallel light rays together to a focal point: a convex (converging) lens or a concave lens?
Convex (converging) lens
A convex lens converges parallel rays to a focus and is used in magnifying glasses.
8. In which medium does light travel fastest: in a vacuum (space) or in diamond?
In a vacuum (space)
Light reaches its maximum speed c ≈ 3 × 10⁸ m/s in a vacuum and slows down in optically denser materials.
9. How do we see a non-luminous object such as a printed book page: light from a source reflects off the page into our eyes, or our eyes send out beams?
Light from a source reflects off the page into our eyes
Vision occurs when light reflected from an object enters the eye and focuses on the retina.
10. Which part of the human eye is the dark circular opening at the centre of the iris that lets light enter: the pupil or the eyebrow?
Pupil
The pupil is the aperture whose size is adjusted by the iris to control how much light enters the eye.
11. Why can sound NOT travel through the vacuum of outer space whereas light can: sound is a mechanical wave that needs vibrating particles, or space is too cold?
Sound is a mechanical wave that needs vibrating particles
Sound waves require a medium (solid, liquid or gas) to transmit vibrations.
12. What astronomical event occurs when Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting Earth’s shadow onto the Moon: a lunar eclipse or a solar eclipse?
Lunar eclipse
During a lunar eclipse, the Full Moon moves through Earth’s shadow.

12 questions · Seed 104730 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Why does a red apple appear red in white daylight: it reflects red light and absorbs other colours, or it absorbs only red light?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
2. What astronomical event occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth: a solar eclipse or a lunar eclipse?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
3. What happens when a beam of white sunlight passes through a triangular glass prism: dispersion splits it into a spectrum of colours, or it turns into sound?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
4. Which light-sensitive layer at the back of the human eye detects focused light and sends signals to the brain via the optic nerve: the retina or the earlobe?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
5. Does light require a material medium (like air) to travel, or can it travel through the vacuum of space?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
6. Why do people often wear light-coloured or white clothing in hot sunny weather: white surfaces reflect most sunlight and stay cooler, or white absorbs all heat?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
7. What type of lens is thicker in the middle than at the edges and brings parallel light rays together to a focal point: a convex (converging) lens or a concave lens?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
8. In which medium does light travel fastest: in a vacuum (space) or in diamond?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
9. How do we see a non-luminous object such as a printed book page: light from a source reflects off the page into our eyes, or our eyes send out beams?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
10. Which part of the human eye is the dark circular opening at the centre of the iris that lets light enter: the pupil or the eyebrow?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
11. Why can sound NOT travel through the vacuum of outer space whereas light can: sound is a mechanical wave that needs vibrating particles, or space is too cold?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
12. What astronomical event occurs when Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting Earth’s shadow onto the Moon: a lunar eclipse or a solar eclipse?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r

12 questions · Seed 104730 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Why does a red apple appear red in white daylight: it reflects red light and absorbs other colours, or it absorbs only red light?
It reflects red light and absorbs other colours
Pigments in the apple skin reflect red wavelengths to our eyes and absorb the rest of the spectrum.
2. What astronomical event occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth: a solar eclipse or a lunar eclipse?
Solar eclipse
During a solar eclipse, the Moon blocks sunlight from reaching part of Earth.
3. What happens when a beam of white sunlight passes through a triangular glass prism: dispersion splits it into a spectrum of colours, or it turns into sound?
Dispersion splits it into a spectrum of colours
Different wavelengths of light refract by slightly different angles, dispersing white light into a rainbow spectrum.
4. Which light-sensitive layer at the back of the human eye detects focused light and sends signals to the brain via the optic nerve: the retina or the earlobe?
Retina
Photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) in the retina convert light into nerve impulses.
5. Does light require a material medium (like air) to travel, or can it travel through the vacuum of space?
It can travel through the vacuum of space
Light is an electromagnetic wave and travels through vacuum at about 300,000 km/s.
6. Why do people often wear light-coloured or white clothing in hot sunny weather: white surfaces reflect most sunlight and stay cooler, or white absorbs all heat?
White surfaces reflect most sunlight and stay cooler
White and shiny surfaces reflect most incident radiation, whereas matt black surfaces absorb it.
7. What type of lens is thicker in the middle than at the edges and brings parallel light rays together to a focal point: a convex (converging) lens or a concave lens?
Convex (converging) lens
A convex lens converges parallel rays to a focus and is used in magnifying glasses.
8. In which medium does light travel fastest: in a vacuum (space) or in diamond?
In a vacuum (space)
Light reaches its maximum speed c ≈ 3 × 10⁸ m/s in a vacuum and slows down in optically denser materials.
9. How do we see a non-luminous object such as a printed book page: light from a source reflects off the page into our eyes, or our eyes send out beams?
Light from a source reflects off the page into our eyes
Vision occurs when light reflected from an object enters the eye and focuses on the retina.
10. Which part of the human eye is the dark circular opening at the centre of the iris that lets light enter: the pupil or the eyebrow?
Pupil
The pupil is the aperture whose size is adjusted by the iris to control how much light enters the eye.
11. Why can sound NOT travel through the vacuum of outer space whereas light can: sound is a mechanical wave that needs vibrating particles, or space is too cold?
Sound is a mechanical wave that needs vibrating particles
Sound waves require a medium (solid, liquid or gas) to transmit vibrations.
12. What astronomical event occurs when Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting Earth’s shadow onto the Moon: a lunar eclipse or a solar eclipse?
Lunar eclipse
During a lunar eclipse, the Full Moon moves through Earth’s shadow.

12 questions · Seed 104730 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification