ScienceAges 7-9

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 7-9

Light, reflection & shadows

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. 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
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 happens to the size of an object’s shadow on a wall when the object is moved closer to the small light source: the shadow gets larger, or the shadow disappears?
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 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9

Light, reflection & shadows

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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).
2. 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).
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 happens to the size of an object’s shadow on a wall when the object is moved closer to the small light source: the shadow gets larger, or the shadow disappears?
The shadow gets larger
Closer to the light source, the object blocks a wider cone of diverging light rays.
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 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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).
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 7-9

Light, reflection & shadows

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. 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
2. 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
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 happens to the size of an object’s shadow on a wall when the object is moved closer to the small light source: the shadow gets larger, or the shadow disappears?
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 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9

Light, reflection & shadows

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. 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).
2. 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).
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 happens to the size of an object’s shadow on a wall when the object is moved closer to the small light source: the shadow gets larger, or the shadow disappears?
The shadow gets larger
Closer to the light source, the object blocks a wider cone of diverging light rays.
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 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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).
12. 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.

12 questions · Seed 43 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification