Explore - Shadow Maker

You have seen many shadows and probably made many shadows as well.  Have you ever considered how shadows form?  Does everything cast a shadow?

Light travels in a straight line from its source until it hits an object.  What happens to that light next will depend on if that object is transparent, translucent, or opaque.  Changing the type of object and its location changes how the shadow looks.  You will be exploring how this happens in the next activity.

Video

Watch the ADLC Digital Lesson on Making Shadows. 

 Notebook: What kinds of objects cast shadows?

  1. Click here to download this activity.
  2. Complete the activity and check your answers below.
  3. Save your corrected work to your Light Notebook.

Check Your Answers

Shadows are cast by translucent and opaque objects.

Shadows are made BIGGER by moving an object CLOSER from the light source.

Shadows are made SMALLER by moving an object FARTHER from the light source.