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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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. At what time of day are outdoor shadows cast by the Sun shortest: around midday (noon) when the Sun is highest in the sky, or at sunrise?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
2. Why does a straight pencil standing partly in a glass of water look bent at the water surface: refraction of light rays leaving the water, or the water bends the wood?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
3. In which medium does light travel fastest: in a vacuum (space) or in diamond?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
4. What optical instrument uses two mirrors angled at 45° inside a tube to let an observer see over obstacles: a periscope or a stethoscope?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
5. 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
6. 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
7. Why does an opaque object cast a dark shadow when placed in front of a torch: light travels in straight lines and cannot pass through the opaque object, or the object absorbs darkness?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
8. What is the imaginary line drawn at 90° (perpendicular) to a mirror surface at the point where a light ray strikes called: the normal or the tangent?
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. If a light ray strikes a flat mirror at an angle of incidence of 35° to the normal, what is the angle of reflection: 35° or 55°?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
12. 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 questions · Seed 104736 · 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. At what time of day are outdoor shadows cast by the Sun shortest: around midday (noon) when the Sun is highest in the sky, or at sunrise?
Around midday (noon) when the Sun is highest in the sky
When the Sun is high overhead, rays strike steeply and cast short shadows.
2. Why does a straight pencil standing partly in a glass of water look bent at the water surface: refraction of light rays leaving the water, or the water bends the wood?
Refraction of light rays leaving the water
Light rays from the submerged part bend away from the normal as they exit water into air.
3. 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.
4. What optical instrument uses two mirrors angled at 45° inside a tube to let an observer see over obstacles: a periscope or a stethoscope?
Periscope
A periscope reflects light twice through 90° using two parallel 45° mirrors.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Why does an opaque object cast a dark shadow when placed in front of a torch: light travels in straight lines and cannot pass through the opaque object, or the object absorbs darkness?
Light travels in straight lines and cannot pass through the opaque object
An opaque object blocks straight light rays, leaving a shaded region behind it.
8. What is the imaginary line drawn at 90° (perpendicular) to a mirror surface at the point where a light ray strikes called: the normal or the tangent?
The normal
Angles of incidence and reflection are always measured relative to the normal (90° to the surface).
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. If a light ray strikes a flat mirror at an angle of incidence of 35° to the normal, what is the angle of reflection: 35° or 55°?
35°
By the law of reflection, angle of reflection = angle of incidence = 35°.
12. 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 questions · Seed 104736 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. At what time of day are outdoor shadows cast by the Sun shortest: around midday (noon) when the Sun is highest in the sky, or at sunrise?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
2. Why does a straight pencil standing partly in a glass of water look bent at the water surface: refraction of light rays leaving the water, or the water bends the wood?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
3. In which medium does light travel fastest: in a vacuum (space) or in diamond?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
4. What optical instrument uses two mirrors angled at 45° inside a tube to let an observer see over obstacles: a periscope or a stethoscope?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
5. 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
6. 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
7. Why does an opaque object cast a dark shadow when placed in front of a torch: light travels in straight lines and cannot pass through the opaque object, or the object absorbs darkness?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
8. What is the imaginary line drawn at 90° (perpendicular) to a mirror surface at the point where a light ray strikes called: the normal or the tangent?
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. If a light ray strikes a flat mirror at an angle of incidence of 35° to the normal, what is the angle of reflection: 35° or 55°?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
12. 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 questions · Seed 104736 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. At what time of day are outdoor shadows cast by the Sun shortest: around midday (noon) when the Sun is highest in the sky, or at sunrise?
Around midday (noon) when the Sun is highest in the sky
When the Sun is high overhead, rays strike steeply and cast short shadows.
2. Why does a straight pencil standing partly in a glass of water look bent at the water surface: refraction of light rays leaving the water, or the water bends the wood?
Refraction of light rays leaving the water
Light rays from the submerged part bend away from the normal as they exit water into air.
3. 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.
4. What optical instrument uses two mirrors angled at 45° inside a tube to let an observer see over obstacles: a periscope or a stethoscope?
Periscope
A periscope reflects light twice through 90° using two parallel 45° mirrors.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Why does an opaque object cast a dark shadow when placed in front of a torch: light travels in straight lines and cannot pass through the opaque object, or the object absorbs darkness?
Light travels in straight lines and cannot pass through the opaque object
An opaque object blocks straight light rays, leaving a shaded region behind it.
8. What is the imaginary line drawn at 90° (perpendicular) to a mirror surface at the point where a light ray strikes called: the normal or the tangent?
The normal
Angles of incidence and reflection are always measured relative to the normal (90° to the surface).
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. If a light ray strikes a flat mirror at an angle of incidence of 35° to the normal, what is the angle of reflection: 35° or 55°?
35°
By the law of reflection, angle of reflection = angle of incidence = 35°.
12. 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 questions · Seed 104736 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification