How Shadows Form

Question 1

Liam puts a solid black eraser and a clear plastic ruler side by side in a beam of sunlight that shines onto the floor. Only the eraser makes a dark shape on the floor. Which statement correctly explains why the eraser makes a shadow and the ruler does not?

Accepted Answer

The eraser stops some of the sunlight so the floor behind it gets less light, while the clear ruler lets the light pass through.

Answer

The eraser is dark, so it colors the floor, while the clear ruler cannot color the floor.

Answer

The eraser makes the floor cooler, creating a dark spot, while the ruler does not change the floor’s temperature.

Answer

The eraser reflects the light away from the floor, while the ruler absorbs the light.

Question 2

Mia points a desk lamp at a white board. The lamp is 40 cm away from the board. She puts a small red cube 30 cm from the lamp (so it is 10 cm from the board). Then she slides the cube 8 cm toward the lamp, making it 22 cm from the lamp and 18 cm from the board. How does the size of the cube’s shadow on the board change?

Accepted Answer

The shadow becomes larger.

Answer

The shadow becomes smaller.

Answer

The shadow stays the same size.

Answer

The shadow disappears because the cube is now too close to the lamp.

Question 3

A student shines a flashlight on a small toy block placed on a wall. When the flashlight is moved from 2 meters away to 0.5 meters away from the block, what happens to the size of the block’s shadow on the wall?

Accepted Answer

The shadow becomes larger than before.

Answer

The shadow stays the same size.

Answer

The shadow becomes smaller than before.

Answer

The shadow disappears.

Try three questions

Liam puts a solid black eraser and a clear plastic ruler side by side in a beam of sunlight that shines onto the floor. Only the eraser makes a dark shape on the floor. Which statement correctly explains why the eraser makes a shadow and the ruler does not?

A student shines a flashlight on a small toy block placed on a wall. When the flashlight is moved from 2 meters away to 0.5 meters away from the block, what happens to the size of the block’s shadow on the wall?

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