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. 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. 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
3. 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
4. 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
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. 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. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. In which medium does light travel fastest: in a vacuum (space) or in diamond?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
11. 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. 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 questions · Seed 66 · 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. 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. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
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. 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. 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.
8. 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).
9. 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.
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. 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. 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 questions · Seed 66 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 7-9

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. 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
3. 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
4. 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
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. 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. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. In which medium does light travel fastest: in a vacuum (space) or in diamond?
Light Ray (Straight Line) · Angle i = Angle r
11. 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. 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 questions · Seed 66 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9

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. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
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. 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. 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.
8. 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).
9. 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.
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. 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. 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 questions · Seed 66 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification