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.

New variation Try interactive challenge Browse templates

Age band:Ages 7-9 Ages 10-12

Choose “Save as PDF” to keep a copy. Use your browser’s paper setting for A4 or Letter.

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. 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
3. How does light travel through a uniform medium such as air or vacuum: in straight lines, or in curved loops?
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. 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
6. Why does a smooth mirror form a clear image while white paper does not: specular reflection vs diffuse scattering, or paper absorbs all light?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
7. 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
8. 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
9. Which of these is a luminous object (emits its own light): the Sun or the Moon?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
10. In which medium does light travel fastest: in a vacuum (space) or in diamond?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 63 · 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 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.
2. 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.
3. How does light travel through a uniform medium such as air or vacuum: in straight lines, or in curved loops?
In straight lines
Light rays travel in straight lines in a uniform medium.
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. 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.
6. Why does a smooth mirror form a clear image while white paper does not: specular reflection vs diffuse scattering, or paper absorbs all light?
Specular reflection vs diffuse scattering
A smooth mirror reflects parallel rays in one direction (specular), whereas rough paper scatters rays in all directions (diffuse).
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Which of these is a luminous object (emits its own light): the Sun or the Moon?
The Sun
The Sun generates and emits light; the Moon is non-luminous and only reflects sunlight.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 63 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. 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
3. How does light travel through a uniform medium such as air or vacuum: in straight lines, or in curved loops?
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. 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
6. Why does a smooth mirror form a clear image while white paper does not: specular reflection vs diffuse scattering, or paper absorbs all light?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
7. 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
8. 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
9. Which of these is a luminous object (emits its own light): the Sun or the Moon?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
10. In which medium does light travel fastest: in a vacuum (space) or in diamond?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 63 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. How does light travel through a uniform medium such as air or vacuum: in straight lines, or in curved loops?
In straight lines
Light rays travel in straight lines in a uniform medium.
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. 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.
6. Why does a smooth mirror form a clear image while white paper does not: specular reflection vs diffuse scattering, or paper absorbs all light?
Specular reflection vs diffuse scattering
A smooth mirror reflects parallel rays in one direction (specular), whereas rough paper scatters rays in all directions (diffuse).
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Which of these is a luminous object (emits its own light): the Sun or the Moon?
The Sun
The Sun generates and emits light; the Moon is non-luminous and only reflects sunlight.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 63 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification