Light and Shadows

The first point of this simulation is to show that light rays leaving an object travel in straight lines.

The simulation has three light bulbs that can be turned on (high, mid or low) or off independently.

The bulbs can be dragged around the screen to change their positions.

The light from the bulbs either passes through a mask with a hole in it, or it is blocked by an object, as it travels to a screen on the right of the simulation.

Investigate how the patterns of light and shadows change as you move the bulbs, the mask or object, and/or the screen, and as you change the size of the mask or object.

Activity 1:

Select ComboBox light travel in straight line and click play. Record your observation, How did the light travel, look at the dotted white line that symbolise the light boundary as it pass the object or slit

Activity 2:

Select ComboBox a shadow is formed when an object blocks the path of light and click play. Record your observation on the screen in terms of whether shadow is formed on the screen or not?

Activity 3:

Select ComboBox decrease distance of source, increase shadow size casted and click play. Record your observation. Did the shadow size increase as the source move towards the screen direction.

Activity 4:

Select ComboBox increase object size/shape, increase shadow size/shape casted and click play.Record your observation. Did the shadow size increase as the object size/shape increase.

Activity 5:

Select ComboBox distinct edges of shadow occurs when light source is near object and click play.Record your observation.

Activity 6:

Click on move the sensor"📹" on the screen.Design an experiment to check what causes the intensity1 to change in what manner? If the light sensor reading increases as the length of the shadow increases, which of the following option is the likely cause?

1. source was moved towards the object?

2. object was moved towards the source?

3. screen was moved towards the source?

4. source was moved away from the screen?