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. 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
2. Which of these is a luminous object (emits its own light): the Sun or the Moon?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
3. 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
4. According to the law of reflection on a flat plane mirror, how does the angle of reflection compare to the angle of incidence: they are equal, or the angle of reflection is twice as large?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
5. 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
6. 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
7. What do we call the bending of a light ray when it passes at an angle from air into water or glass (due to a change in speed): refraction or absorption?
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. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 65 · 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. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. According to the law of reflection on a flat plane mirror, how does the angle of reflection compare to the angle of incidence: they are equal, or the angle of reflection is twice as large?
They are equal
The angle of incidence always equals the angle of reflection (measured from the normal).
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. What do we call the bending of a light ray when it passes at an angle from air into water or glass (due to a change in speed): refraction or absorption?
Refraction
Light slows down in denser media like water or glass, causing the ray to bend (refract).
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. 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°.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 65 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. Which of these is a luminous object (emits its own light): the Sun or the Moon?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
3. 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
4. According to the law of reflection on a flat plane mirror, how does the angle of reflection compare to the angle of incidence: they are equal, or the angle of reflection is twice as large?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
5. 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
6. 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
7. What do we call the bending of a light ray when it passes at an angle from air into water or glass (due to a change in speed): refraction or absorption?
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. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 65 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 10-12

Light, reflection & shadows

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. According to the law of reflection on a flat plane mirror, how does the angle of reflection compare to the angle of incidence: they are equal, or the angle of reflection is twice as large?
They are equal
The angle of incidence always equals the angle of reflection (measured from the normal).
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. What do we call the bending of a light ray when it passes at an angle from air into water or glass (due to a change in speed): refraction or absorption?
Refraction
Light slows down in denser media like water or glass, causing the ray to bend (refract).
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. 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°.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 65 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification