Professional Documents
Culture Documents
VI
CBSE-i
SCIENCE
PHYSICS
Light
UNIT-3
ACTIVITY 3 20
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 1 21
WORKSHEET 1 & 2 23
CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIAL- TRANSPARENT, TRANSLUCENT, OPAQUE 25
ACTIVITY 4 25
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 2 28
ACTIVITY 5 31
ACTIVITY 6 & 7 34,35
ACTIVITY 8 & 9 36,37
SHADOW FORMATION IN NATURE: ECLIPSE 38
LIGHT AND ITS APPLICATION: MIRROR AND REFLECTION, PERISCOPE, PINHOLE CAMERA
WORKSHEET 3 46
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT 48
RUBRIC FOR ASSESSMENT 55
SUGGESTED VIDEO CLIP/WEB RESOURCES 56
PHYSICS
Unit IV : Light
CONTENT
S 1. Light: An introduction.
Y 2. Properties of light.
Science
1
LIGHT
This unit is meant to develop the knowledge of some of the simple basic properties of light.
It will also help the students to understand and explore about the various phenomena of
light in day-to-day life. It is intended to empower the learners to feel confident that proper
knowledge of concepts provides us with the ability to use information and technology
that suits the needs of the people.
Science
2
SCOPE DOCUMENT
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this unit, students would be able to:
F
Identify different ideas and words related to light.
F
Understand and identify the types of light rays.
F
Gain evidence that light propagates in a straight path.
F
Differentiate between luminous and non-luminous objects.
F
Identify some common luminous and non-luminous objects.
F
Describe the terms: transparent, translucent and opaque.
F
Differentiate between transparent, translucent and opaque objects.
F
Carefully observe the formation of shadows in different time.
F
Mention the cause of the formation of shadows.
F
Use conceptual clarity to identify types of eclipses.
F
Understand the meaning of reflection of light.
F
Differentiate between regular and irregular reflection.
F
Explore the phenomenon of reflection in a periscope.
Cross curricular links
F
Chemistry- Apply concepts of types of materials
(Transparent, translucent and opaque)
F
Mathematics - Apply concepts of drawing, reading and interpreting angles.
F
English/Languages -Articulation and sharing information, writing investigation
plans, vocabulary.
F
Information Technology - Making PowerPoint presentation using animation
tools, research work.
F
Biology- Formation of image on the retina.
F
Astronomy - Study of eclipses.
F
Art- Use tools, materials and techniques properly, selecting those that are
appropriate for the work.
Science
3
MATRIX
Content/concepts Intended Learning Skills
Observation and
Use of properties of To identify and relate the image understanding, connecting
Light, Mirrors and formed by a mirror and to list its
reflection. characteristics. the properties of light in
day to day life.
Science
4
TEACHER NOTES (TN)
The unit can begin by creating a great sense of appreciation among the students that the
beautiful world we see around us is due to the availability of light. Our eyes enable us to see
the objects only when light falls on them. The teacher could give to the students an activity
(Activity 1) by which they will be able to appreciate the importance of light in making our
world visible to our eyes. This activity will help the learners enhance their observational
skill and relate it to the importance of light.
The teacher could make a collection of concepts related to the phenomenon of light for the
main teaching points, keeping in mind the Intended Learning Outcomes.
Discussion on terms like brightness, shades, colours, shadows etc. would provide a great
resource from the students. This would help you to assess the learning attainment and yet -
to- be attained concepts regarding light and its behavior. It depends how smartly you
would be able to note the misconceptions or intuitive understandings of students as a
whole. It would greatly help to redesign your next interactions based on this feedback to
promote further learning about the unit This could promote inquiry based interest in
students.
It will be interesting to take up a simple but rarely entertained observation about colour.
Ask the students the colour of light. After eliciting various answers the teacher could show
them the scattering of light through a prism thus further arousing their curiosity by seeing
different colours in white light. You could ask the students to name these colours and list
them on the board in a sequence so as to make the word VIBGYOR. The learners will hence
gain the knowledge about what each letter of VIBGYOR stands for. Also they would see the
same organization of colours as VIBGYOR in natural spread of colours. Try to get these
answers from the students so that they remain enthusiastic to participate in developing the
concept. In order to enhance the thinking skills of the students you could ask them to give
examples of the phenomena that show the pattern of light consists of seven colours. At this
point the idea of rainbow formation could be shared with them.
You may inform them about human enterprise to learn from nature and create its
representation in artificial situations. The discussion on the prism can be re looked at this
point. Let the learners hold the prism and try to see different objects through it. Spend some
time on this activity and record the learners' responses.
Science
5
The use of prism serves few purposes, such as:
lIt can be inductively concluded that Light travels in a straight line unlike a rainbow
which moves through rain drops.
An activity involving paper folding to make a hand fan could be given to the students to
help them prove experimentally that white light emitted by the sun consists of seven
colours. This fan could have seven wings, each painted with a single colour in the order of
VIBGYOR. The students could be asked to rotate the fan and be surprised to see when
wings are rotated at a fast speed, no single colour becomes visible but what they can see is
only white colour. This exercise informs us about the ability of the eye to see colours at
different speeds. As an expression of art you could ask students to make a colour chart
using water colours, beginning with primary colours red, blue and yellow.
This concept could lead to a discussion on why leaves look green, flowers show red, yellow
or orange colour and some objects look black while others look white. The connection of
light, colour and life is crucial for wholistic learning about our surrounding. These are
the moments that carry the scope to ignite interest in inquiry into how things operate, what
principles guide different phenomena that we come across in daily life. The attitude to take
things for granted, limits learning. This can be minimized by encouraging and
demonstrating inquiry approach in class interactions.
You could connect this to the introduction of the topic stating that we are able to see objects
when light falling on the objects reflects and reaches our eyes. The concept of reflection of
light could be initiated and the learners could be stepwise enabled to conclude when white
light falls on a leaf it looks green as it reflects green colour and absorbs all other colours. The
learners would be able to derive corollary to that, logically and will be able to explain why
Science
6
they see objects of different colours. An object looks black because it absorbs all colours of
light and does not reflect any light whereas it looks white because it reflects all colours and
does not absorb any light.
At this point you could inform students about the properties of light in some detail. The
learners could be given an activity showing how light enters a dark room through a small
hole. To enhance their observational skills they could be asked what they observe to share
orally or in written form.
By this activity the terms 'beam of light' or 'ray of light' could be introduced. Hence,
vocabulary development could go hand in hand.
You could make the students perform activity 2a and activity 2b in TSSM to facilitate in
understanding the property of light .It travels in a straight line. The demonstration of
activity 2c will further clear the concept of Rectilinear Propagation of light. This activity
would also trigger the students in going beyond what the teacher is trying to get at and it
could make them explore the answer to their own curiosity about the medium in which
light would travel. Does light need a medium to travel?
A brain storming session could be organized by the teacher whereby the learners could
give their own ideas on the change in the speed of light vis-a-vis medium through which it
travel. The learners could be asked if the speed of light the same in air, water or in vacuum.
This could also give an opportunity to them to do some research on the internet to explore
the behavior of light in different media.
You could explore the creative, imaginative and intelligent guessing (inferring) ability of
the learners by inquiring: if the speed of light is the same, slower or faster than the speed of
sound. Since students are not a blank slate but curious observers, trust their potential and
wait for their observation on the bursting of crackers during festival. You could take their
attention to the thunder and lightning in the sky. With little probing you could extract the
answer that they first see the fire of a cracker and later they hear the sound hence proving
the fact that light travels faster than the speed of sound.
You could ask the students to give examples of the property of light stating that light
travels in a straight line. By eliciting examples from the learners you could encourage them
to apply their knowledge and understanding of the concepts in their day-to-day life
situations. Careful observation of examples such as formation of shadows, beam of a
search light, light of car's headlight and so on would pave way for a scientific outlook in
Science
7
life.
You could show the learners a glowing electric bulb, a wooden chair and ask them to
compare these two with that of Sun. A discussion session could help you to get at a
conclusion from the learners that an electric bulb glows and gives light, wooden chair does
not glow on its own but can be seen only when light falls on it. Luciferin is a pigment found
in animals which is responsible for the shine and light emitted by them.
You could then enhance learners' vocabulary by using the term Luminous for bodies that
are the source of light and Non-Luminous for bodies that can be seen only when light falls
on them. The students will be able to differentiate between luminous and non-luminous
objects.
F
Formation of day and night.
F
Formation of shadows at different positions during the day
Kindly note that luminosity is the feature of light associated with a cold object e.g. radium,
whereas, light associated with a hot object is called incandescence. So the examples quoted
above like 'glowing bulb' & 'sun' are incandescent objects. You may pose challenging
situations to test their understanding e.g. a photograph of sun & natural sun, a burning
candle and just a candle, fire fly etc. It will be a good idea to ask the learners to differentiate
between Sun as the source of light and an electric bulb as the source of light.
Through a brain storming session you could elicit examples from the students of natural
luminous resources such as fire-fly, Sun and Stars and man-made (artificial) luminous
sources such as candle, electric bulbs, tube lights. This would enhance their thinking skills.
The skill to carefully observe the things and phenomena in the surroundings in their
dynamic state is itself a great life long learning that gets transcribed into the rational
attitude to life.
Worksheet 1 and 2 will help the students to re-enforce the concepts and also help them to
apply it in their day-to-day knowledge and will strengthen their experiential learning.
Sometimes liquids kept in coloured bottles show a different colour than their actual colour.
It could be demonstrated how different objects such as plain glass tumbler, a coloured
glass tumbler and a steel glass tumbler behave when light falls on them. To enhance the
learners' observational skills they could be asked to view a pencil box kept at the back of the
Science
8
tumbler while the light source is placed in front of the tumbler such that the light falls on
the tumbler directly. Learners could be asked to note their observations and share the same
with other class mates. They will be able to reason out the differences among the three
types of objects. The terms Transparent, Translucent and Opaque could also become part
of their vocabulary development.
It would be important to link this point with the unit 1, on Classification of Materials where
properties of material and visibility have been introduced. Doing so, will make better
connections in the conceptual development of the learners. At the same time make learning
less burdensome and more joyful. Your role as a reflective practitioner is important.
Integration can be with same concept treated in different units or under the same
theme/issue.
Learners would be able to differentiate among three types of objects based on how much
light passes through them. They could be given an opportunity to explain the behavior of
diamond. Will they call it a transparent object or a luminous object? Adequate time must be
given to explore the same in order to apply their theoretical knowledge. Students could
make a list of transparent, translucent or opaque objects other than these discussed in the
class to re-enforce their experiential learning.
You could inquire: Is it the light alone or the property of the object or the medium through
which light passes that influence the behavior of the light? It could generate a plethore of
opinions, beliefs, mis concepts, facts, principles from the students.
The concept of types of objects could lead the learners to draw a corollary that shadow is
formed only when the light falling on an object is not able to pass through the object. This
could be taken as the beginning of discussion on what shadows are, how they are formed,
if they are always formed and if they are of the same size at all times. Frame questions prior
to the teaching so as to connect it to the conceptual understanding. Framing of precise and
clear questions is a skill that can be an asset for a teacher to communicate the concepts
effectively.
The teacher could ask the learners to observe the shadow of a tree formed at different times
of the day and note down their observations. This will not only develop an attitude among
the learners about experimental and observational skill but also help them to enhance their
data entry skills.
A discussion among students will facilitate the answer that shadow by the Sun is the
Science
9
largest in the morning and evening time whereas it is the shortest during noon time.
Students could be given a group or an individual project to measure the size of the shadow
of an object (planted or placed) in an open area at different parts of the day. The students
will be able to observe that the length of the shadow of an object in daylight is different at
different times of the day. This would enhance their ability to measure the length of the
shadow accurately (unit 0 on Measurement). Show/inform/discuss or ask students to find
out about Architectural wonder as Jantar Mantar in India, where the calculation of time is
done by measuring the shadow. You could demonstrate an activity to initiate the project
work. In order to enhance their data collection and data recording skills, you could ask the
learners to fill up the columns given in the table. Depending on your previous interactions
you may either provide a table or ask students to make a table. This could help you assess
their ability to organize and present data in a simple and effective way.
As an extended learning they could be asked to make an observation on the direction at
which the shadow is formed and relate it to the direction of the Sun at different time
intervals, vis-s-vis the object. They should be able to mention that shadow is formed
opposite to the direction of the Sun. Take the attention of the students to day and night
matches and formation of shadow.
You may refer Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave' as an extended reading for yourself. The
writing is philosophical and addresses bigger question of ignorance and of knowledge in
life. Such classical works lend a perspective to see the world of ideas. You may build your
own perspective through reading perspectives offered in classical literature. You would
appreciate the fact that many scientists were also philosophers. Both Science and
philosophy attempt to respond to the big questions related to life but only differ in their
approach.
It is important for learners to know if the size of the shadow of an object remains the same.
You could demonstrate the activities to show shadow formation by changing the positions
of the object, source of light and the screen on which the shadow is viewed. The learners
could be asked to observe these activities and thus empowering them to find the factors on
which the size of shadow depends. Learners could then conclude that a) the size of shadow
depends on the distance between the object and the screen as well as b) the distance
between the object and the source of light. Learners could be asked to derive the
relationship among the positions of object, source of light and the screen on which the
shadow falls with respect to the size of the object. An intelligent guess game for hypothesis
building can be done in the class after the concept is taught.
The activity will re-enforce what they learnt earlier that the size of the shadow of an object
on the wall depends on its location with respect to the light source and the wall. The factors
Science
10
that affect shadow formation may be noted and listed by the students to understand how
shadows form and can be created by changing these factors.
They could be asked to find the cause of formation of shadows and conclude that the image
is formed only when there is an obstacle between the object and the source of light. Activity
6a will re-enforce the understanding of this concept of the parts of a shadow i.e. Umbra and
Penumbra. Try to elicit the conclusion from the learners that the size of Umbra and
Penumbra depends on the distance between screen and obstacle. i.e. the object. You may
ask and reflect: Will sun have a shadow?
While recapitulating the students' previous knowledge about the rotation of the earth
around the moon and of the moon around the sun and the earth, students could be
encouraged to imagine as to what will happen if the sun, moon and earth come in a straight
line? What could be the situation when : the earth becomes an obstacle between the sun and
the moon and when moon becomes an obstacle between the sun and the earth? The
phenomena of Lunar and Solar eclipse and reasons to differentiate between Lunar and
solar eclipse could be explained.
Question as why must the earth or the moon do so? Why does not the sun become an
obstacle, may be asked to anchor the concepts in a well connected way. The presentation
would largely decide to create or kill the interest to know about macro phenomenon of
eclipse. Astronomical interests get generated by careful and intelligent presentation of
concepts which may appear to be difficult for class VI, yet the curiosity to know can always
be created. Realize the crucial role you can play in promoting the future scientists through
your teaching and facilitation.
By drawing the diagrams on the board, you could demonstrate the formation of eclipses
using simple equipments and explain regions of umbra and penumbra in it.
Take the opportunity to discuss practices related to the occurrence of eclipse. Be cautious
not to explode every practice as a myth. Take time and collect information to come out with
a hypothesis. The attempt to smash old practices as myths could be reflective of scientism
Science
11
rather than a scientific attitude to arrive at logical explanations. Scientism is having faith in
science which is against the nature of science. Of course! you could help to remove
unfounded practices by adequate scientific information. In fact a multicultural classroom
can be most suitable avenue to demystify the notions about eclipses. This could be quite
Challenging but a meaningful step to learning.
In addition, you could also demonstrate how to view solar eclipse safely as looking at the
sun directly during the solar eclipse could be harmful for the eyes. Why?
For an extended learning the students could apply their knowledge about reflection
through the mirrors and the principle of rectilinear propagation of light to make a
periscope. They could be given this as a group project. You could explain to them the
working of a periscope. To enhance the drawing skills of the students, they could be asked
to make ray diagrams to show the image formation through a periscope. The class may be
divided into groups and each group could be given the task of listing the applications of
periscope and mirrors.
A fun activity could be organized to have a volunteer group make a kaleidoscope and the
teacher could explain the concept of multiple image formation and also, the terms real
images and virtual images could be introduced.
Through this unit the teacher will be able to involve the participation of students in the
teaching learning process. The observational, experimental, thinking and drawing skills
will be enhanced. The students will get ample opportunity to apply their knowledge in
their day-to-day experiences.
Worksheets and / or questionnaires could be given to the students for formative and
summative assessment. Prepare your worksheets or tasks suiting the readiness to learn of
the among students.
You may organise the concepts in an order that enables articulation one such way is
provided here
Optic, shadow, umbra penumbra, energy form of energy, rectilinear, straight movement,
propagation, space, vaccum, air.
Science
12
TEACHER STUDENT SUPPORT MATERIAL (TSSM)
LIGHT
1. INTRODUCTION:
This unit focuses on Light, the basis of Visual World around us. The main focus is going to
be on the properties of light, the behaviour of materials towards light, shadows and the
related study about eclipses.
Discuss general concepts related to LIGHT, SIGHT, COLOUR, SENSE ORGAN and
VIBGYOR . Brain storm with questions like, how does light look like? What role does it
play in our lives? How it moves or travels? How does light behave? Is it always the same? Is
it usually the same? What are the different patterns of light that we can see?
Procedure:
Switch off all the lights and cover the glass window with black papers or close the doors
and draw on the curtains so that the room becomes completely dark. Can we see each
other? Can we see the things around us?
Now make a hole in any one of the black papers on the window or remove one of the
curtains. We will observe a beam of light entering the room. We can see the object/objects
on which the rays of light fall see picture 1 below.
Picture 1
Science
13
Conclusion:
When light falls on objects, it gets reflected from them. When this reflected light reaches
our eyes, we are able to see the objects. The colour of the objects that we see depends upon
the colour of the light, the object reflects.
As we all know that light consists of seven colours which are represented by VIBGYOR.
The seven colours are V- Violet, I- Indigo, B- Blue, G- Green, Y- Yellow, O- Orange, R- Red
can be seen in the same order. If an object appears to be green, it means that the object
absorbed all the colors of light except green which gets reflective. This colour reaches our
eyes and we see the object as green . See picture 2 below.
Picture 2
Dispersion of Light through a Prism.
Light is a form of energy which our sense of sight can detect. It is a portion of electro-
magnetic radiation. It does not require any material as medium such as air, water, metal
etc. to travel from one place to another. We are able to see the beautiful and colourful world
around us because of light.
One of the most important discoveries about light is the calculation of the speed at which it
travels in vacuum. Light travels at a speed of 300,000 kilometers per second (3x108 m/s).
While movies like Star Wars and Star Trek often show spaceships blasting across the
Universe moving faster than light, scientists believe that the speed of light is the upper limit
for how fast objects can travel. However, speed of light can be changed. It becomes slow
when it is made to pass through other medium/media such as water or glass. Speed of light
is taken to be the same for air and vacuum in most of the cases.
Science
14
You may wonder:
How would have scientist measured the speed of light? What is the use of knowing the
speed of light?
The speed of light is an important value for many reasons; one of the most practical use is
to help us calculate astronomical distances (distances between planets or stars.) and to
determine how long it will take communication signals(a form of light) to travel through
space.
2 PROPERTIES OF LIGHT
Many a times we have observed the light entering through a door or a window in the
room. In the picture below what do you observe? We can note rays of light entering
through the door and falling on the objects in the room. This is actually how light travels.
Picture 3
Science
15
A ray of light is a quite narrow straight path which is used to show the propagation of light
with or without a medium. Generally, a straight line is used to represent a ray of light. An
arrow is put on it to indicate the direction of propagation of light. In the picture above we
can see many straight lines. What does this mean? We usually see a bundle of rays and not a
single ray, which is called a beam.
Ray of light
Beam of light
A beam of light is the collection of a large number of light rays. A parallel beam is a
collection of parallel rays emitted by a (far-off) luminous object. It may be celestial body as
sun or burning candle.
The following activities can be taken to explain that light travels in a straight line. We also
call this as the rectilinear propagation of light. The teacher can demonstrate this property
through these activities.
Science
16
3 RECTILINEAR PROPAGATION OF LIGHT
Procedure:
Take a flashlight. Place a cardboard in front of the flashlight. Make a small hole at the centre
of the cardboard. Switch on the flashlight. This activity would give better result when the
surroundings are controlled, i.e., dark.
Picture 4
Observation:
Students would see that light appears to come out from the small hole in a straight line.
These are the rays of light. Each ray carries energy which can be intelligently used to
perform a range of tasks related to health, recreation and disease tasks e.g. physiotherapy
(to relax the tensed muscle fibers/tendons/ligaments), straightening of hair, heating, laser
surgery etc. see picture 5.
Picture 5
Science
17
ACTIVITY 2B
Demonstration:
Take a paper or plastic pipe and a torch. Switch on the torch and ask a student to hold the
pipe straight so that he/she can see the light coming from the torch bulb. Now ask the
student to bend the pipe and repeat the same activity. The student will not be able to see the
light coming from the torch bulb. See picture 6.
Conclusion: This activity shows that light ALWAYS propagates along a straight line.
Picture 6
Procedure:
Picture 7
Science
18
Take three equal sized square black (hard paper) sheets. Put all the three sheets exactly one
over the other and with the help of a long nail punch a hole through all of them. Place the
papers one after the other in a straight line with a separation of about 3 cm . On one end of
this set-up place a lighted candle. Students will be able to observe the flame of the candle
from the other side of this set up of three sheets. Now shift the middle paper a little and ask
the student to see the flame again. The flame will not be visible.
Conclusion: This demonstration proves that light propagates along a straight path.
Some everyday phenomena which suggest that light always propagates along a straight
path.
F
Passage of sunlight through the ventilator in a dark room.
F
Beam of a search light used in lighthouses or airports, night sports.
F
Light from the car's headlight. See picture 8.
Picture 8
F
Light coming out of a laser torch . See picture 9.
Picture 9
Science
19
4. CLASSIFICATION OF OBJECTS
Luminous and Non Luminous Objects
Light travels from its source to the objects. The source is also called Luminous.
Luminous bodies or objects are those that emit light of their own. For example, the sun,
stars and fire are luminous bodies. Non-luminous bodies are those that do not emit light of
their own. For example books, tables and chairs , are non-luminous bodies.
The following activity can be taken to differentiate between luminous and non-luminous
objects.
Procedure:
Switch off all the lights and shut the doors and windows so that the room becomes dark.
Nothing is visible.
Now switch one light. What happened? Can we see each other? Can we see the things
around us? Yes, we can. This is because the Light emitted from the bulb enables us to see
things around us, including the chairs, tables and the rest of the things in the class.
Again, switch off the light. Now, everything around us becomes invisible.
Science
20
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 1
Mark the most appropriate option-
1. Transparent object
2. Luminous object
3. Non-luminous object
4. Opaque object
1. a meteorite
2. the sun
3. an electric bulb
4. a candle
2. Give two examples each of (i) natural (ii) man-made luminous objects?
3. Both Sun and a bulb are luminous objects. In what way are they different from
each other.
1. Natural
2. Man-made
Science
21
1. Natural luminous sources
Natural light sources includes sun, glowing rocks (lava from volcanoes) and flames.
Some plants and animals like glow worms and some deep sea fish, give off light of
their own.
There are a lot of man made sources of light, some of them are: candles, light bulbs,
CFL's, tube-lights, kerosene lamps etc.
Science
22
WORKSHEET 1
Classify the following objects as natural and artificial source of light.
Bulb
Stars
Glow Fish
Candle
Street light
Sun
Science
23
Planets
Fireflies
Torch
Candle
House
Tree
Science
24
Transparent, Translucent and Opaque materials
Learning outcome: Students will be able to understand that there are three kinds of
material; Transparent, Translucent and Opaque in terms of their behavior towards light.
Procedure:
Let us take these three objects (glass tumbler, colored glass and wooden block).
Keep them on the table. Now place a pencil box on the other side of these objects.
F
In case of glass tumbler, the pencil box on the other side can be seen clearly.
F
In case of colored glass ,the pencil box on the other side, is not seen very clearly.
F
In the third case, the pencil box is not at all seen from the other side of the wooden
block.
Conclusion: We say that , the first object is transparent, the second object is translucent
and the third one is opaque.
Science
25
A transparent object is one which allows all of the light to pass through it. Things like glass,
clear water are transparent.
A translucent object is one which allows only some of the light to pass selectively through
it. Things like tissue paper, wax paper, muddy water, cloth and paper are all translucent.
An opaque object is one which does not allow light to pass through it . Objects like wood,
paint, metal sheets and books are opaque.
Science
26
Diamond is not a luminous body even though we see it as a shinning object. It is a
transparent object which allows light to pass through it but after some reflection (about
which we will learn in the later part of the chapter).
F
Hold a pencil box, a butter paper, a glass sheet and a lunch box one by one in front
of the eyes of the students and ask them to look at a source of light through them.
Now ask the students to observe the light source, and note down their
observations.
F
Close your eyes while looking towards bright sunshine.Now cover the eyes with
your palm,still keeping them closed. Do you notice any difference? On the basis of
this experience , state whether your eyelids are transparent , translucent or
opaque.
F
Apply some oil on a white sheet of paper. Ask the students to hold it in front of
their eyes. Can they see through it? Put a torch light on one side of the paper and
ask the students to observe it from the other side. They will find that some light
passes through it. Repeat the same with a tracing paper and a brown or a dark
colour paper : Note the observations. What can you conclude from it.
Science
27
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 2
Mark the most appropriate option-
1. A transparent
2. A translucent
3. An opaque
4. A luminous
2. Objects, that allow only some light to pass through them, are considered as
__________.
1. Opaque
2. luminous
3. Transparent
4. Translucent
1. an opaque
2. a luminous
3. a transparent
4. a translucent
4. Translucent Objects
Science
28
5. An opaque object
Ray diagrams
Science
29
A shadow is actually a region where there is absence of light. The size of the shadow in the
diagrams depends on the distance of the object from the source of light. The drawing of the
rays of light, or ray diagrams as they are known, shows that the closer the object to the light
source, the larger the shadow.
The Sun is a natural source of light. It seems to move across the sky during the day.
Different (opaque) objects cast (make) their longest shadows in sunlight , at the beginning
and at the end of the day i.e during the sunrise and the sunset.These are the times when the
Sun is lowest/farthest in the sky from the observer/object as shown in the figure below.
The (opaque) objects cast their shortest shadows at midday, i.e., when the Sun is directly
above the head in the sky and is at the shortest distance from the objects as shown in the
figure below (see).
Science
30
ACTIVITY 5 : MEASURING SHADOW AT DIFFERENT TIMES
Learning outcome: Student would be able to observe that the length of the shadow of an
object, in daylight, is different at different times of the day.
Procedure: Fix a stick straight on the school ground field away from the school building
and the trees.
Observe the length of the shadow of the stick at different times of the day and note down
the observation in the table below-
Observation:
7:30 am
10:30 am
12:00 pm
2:30 pm
5:00 pm
Science
31
Parts of a shadow
A shadow has two parts; they are called the Umbra and the Penumbra The completely
dark part of the shadow is called the Umbra. The part of the shadow where it appears
light(i.e.,where some light is able to reach) is called the Penumbra.
Place a lamp close to a mug and observe its shadow on a table. Notice that the shadow
formed has two parts. The darker part of the shadow, is the "umbra" and the lighter part is
the "penumbra".
F
A light source
F
An (opaque) object
F
A screen or a wall (Any surface)
Shadow formation: The size of a shadow varies depending on the distance between the
source and the object as well as the distance between the object and the screen.
If the screen is moved closer to the obstacle, the size of the shadow decreases and vice-
versa.
Science
32
A. DIAGRAMMATIC PRESENTATION OF SHADOW:
If the screen is moved away from the obstacle , then both umbra and penumbra would
increase in size.
If the screen is moved away from the obstacle , then you will see that umbra has been
reduced to a point and the penumbra has increased in size. If the screen is moved further
away , then you will observe only penumbra which is large and faint while umbra is absent
from the shadow.
Science
33
ACTIVITY 6 : CHANGING SIZE OF A SHADOW
Learning outcome: Students would be able to observe that the size of the shadow of an
object on the wall, depends on its location with respect to the light source and the wall.
Materials required:
Procedure: Make a small hole in the cardboard and place it in front of the flashlight. Hold
the ball at certain distance from the flashlight. Switch on the flashlight and observe the
shadow on the wall. Move the source of light and the ball together away from the screen
(wall). Note down the observation. Now, instead of moving the ball and the flashlight
together, increase the distance between the flashlight and the ball. Note down the
observation again.
Observation:
Position of the light Position of the Size and shape of the shadow
source object on the screen
Conclusion-
F
If an object is moved closer to the light source, the shadow gets bigger.
F
If an object is moved farther away from the light source, the shadow
gets smaller.
Science
34
ACTIVITY 7 : MEASUREMENT OF SHADOWS ON THE WALL
Learning Outcomes:
F
The student will be able to observe changes in the location, shape, and size of a
shadow when an object is placed in different positions with respect to the light
source and screen(wall)
F
Plan a procedure and make observations to determine changes in a shadow's
location, shape, and size when an object is placed in different positions with
respect to a light source and screen.
Materials: Table lamp.
Plain wall.
Chart paper taped to wall for sketching shadows.
Ruler or measuring tape, pencil and record sheet.
Procedure:
1. Fix a screen or a chart paper to the wall where the shadows will be cast.
2. Place the table lamp few meters away from the wall.
3. Turn off the lights in the room, and adjust the lamp so that the paper is uniformly
lit.
4. Cast shadows on the paper using your arms, head and body and some
other(opaque) objects. Try changing your distance from the light and observe any
changes in the shadows.
5. Sketch shadows for different positions of different objects. Make sure you
observe and measure the grey area in the shadow.
Reflection:
1. "Become the wall" by standing with your back to the paper facing the light.
Record what you see as your partner moves back and forth between you and the
light, the types of shadow that falls on you. Change places for your partner to
observe.
2. Write down your observations about how shadows change location, shape, and
size.
Science
35
ACTIVITY 8 : THE CAUSE OF SHADOW FORMATION
Learning outcome: The student will be able to understand formation of a shadow.
Materials: Small torch, Big torch, Different objects, Candle and Pencil.
When we put any (opaque) object in front of a light source, a shadow of that object gets
formed. The closer the object is to the source of the light, the more light it blocks out and
bigger is the shadow. If the object is far away, it does not block out much light, and so the
shadow is smaller.
Procedure:
1. Put on the light.
2. Keep the object in between the light source and wall.
3. First, keep the object near to the light source and observe the shape of the shadow
of that particular object.
4. Next, move and push the object towards the wall, moving it away from the light
source.
5. Again observe the size of the shadow of the object.
Observation:
Observation is done on the basis of the object position and the various sizes of the shadow.
Position of the object Size and shape of the shadow on the screen
Science
36
Conclusion-
F
If an object is moved closer to the light source, the shadow gets bigger.
F
If an object is moved farther away from the light source, the shadow gets smaller.
3. Move the pencil towards the wall. Position it to be in the middle of the wall and
candle. Observe the shadow of the pencil on the wall.
4. Again move the pencil near towards the wall. Again observe the shadow of the
pencil on the wall.
Science
37
Observation:
Conclusion:
When the object is closer to the light it blocks out more light and therefore its shadow is
bigger in size. If the object is farther away, it does not block out much light, and so the
shadow is smaller.
Shadow formation in nature (Eclipses)
The passage of one celestial body in front of another, resulting in blocking of the light(from
the luminous body) by the second body (e.g. blocking of the light of the sun by the moon, or
that of one star by the other) is called an eclipse.
An eclipse, of sun or the moon , can occur whenever the three (heavenly!) bodies: the Sun,
the Earth and the Moon come in a straight line.
Formation of the Eclipses
a) Solar Eclipse-
An eclipse of the sun occurs when the moon, revolving in its orbit around the earth, comes
between the sun and the earth. The moon blocks the light of the sun and a shadow of the
moon is cast over the earth's surface. This can only happen during a new moon, when the
Sun and Moon are in a straight line.
During a solar eclipse, the moon actually casts two types of shadows towards the earth.
One shadow shaped like a cone is called the umbra.
The second shadow is called the penumbra. This spreads out as it reaches the earth. The
penumbra is thus spread over a large area.
Science
38
The part of the earth which lies in the umbra region of the moon's shadow experiences a
total solar eclipse and the part of the earth lying in the penumbra of the moon's shadow
experiences a partial solar eclipse.
Total eclipse
b) Lunar Eclipse-
An eclipse of the Moon (or lunar eclipse) occurs when the sun , the earth and the moon are
in a straight line, with the earth situated in between the sun and the moon.A lunar eclipse
takes place on a full moon. The type and length of a lunar eclipse depends upon the Moon's
location.
Science
39
The Geometry of a Lunar Eclipse
Science
41
Ambulance as seen through a mirror
The principal of lateral inversion is used by the ambulance services. The laterally inverted
image of the word AMBULANCE is placed in the front of the vehicle carrying the patients.
It can be read clearly when seen from the rear mirror of the car ahead of the ambulance and
give passage to the van. As health is considered a priority of life, this practice is universally
accepted in east & west parts of the world.
8. LIGHT AND ITS APPLICATIONS
2) Periscope
Periscope
periscope is an optical device, which allows an observer to see things, that are beyond a
person's direct line of sight. One of the classical uses of a periscope is made in submarines.
Periscopes consist of a long tube, which can contain mirrors. One end of the mirror
captures the image and bends or reflects it so that it can travel down the tube to hit the
mirror at the other side. This bends the rays again so that they can meet the eye of the
viewer.
Science
42
A periscope works by using two mirrors to reflect light from one place to another. It uses
two mirrors at 45 degree angles to the direction of the incident light. The light gets
reflected from one mirror to the other mirror and then reaches the person's eye as shown in
the figure below. (see)
Working of a periscope
Uses
F
People can use a periscope to see things located above their current position
allowing them to stay concealed and protected behind an armor or a wall,
F
Periscopes can also be used to look underground and around corners.
F
It is used to see what is going on at sea level from the submarine, which can stay
safely submerged under the water.
F
Periscopes are widely used in the military and also in other fields, like medicine
and hunting.
3) Pinhole Camera
Pinhole camera, also known as camera obscure, or "dark chamber", is a simple device in the
shape of a closed box or chamber. In one of its sides there is a small hole near its center. Due
to the rectilinear propagation of light ,this hole can create an image of the outside space on
the opposite side of the box.
Science
43
It is, therefore, one of the applications of rectilinear propagation of light.
The image in the pinhole camera is created on the basis of the rectilinear propagation of
light as shown in the figures below. Each point on the surface of a luminous object emits
rays of light in all directions. The hole lets through a certain number of these rays, which
continue on their course until they meet the opposite side of the box where they produce a
reverse image of the object.
Science
44
Making of pinhole camera using a box
F
Make a hole in one side of a box made of a material which does not let light in.
F
Place a thin piece of metal or a tin can with a tiny hole over the opening. On the
outside of the box stick a strip of black tape over the opening, which acts as the
release.
F
Next, in a dark room, attach a piece of film or photographic paper onto the
opposite side and the camera is ready.
Teaching Suggestions, Activities and Demonstrations
F
Suggest practical applications, which illustrate the lateral inversion of an image in
a plane mirror, like making an L on a paper and asking the students to hold and
identify the letter.
F
Three mirrors placed at an acute angle to one an other produce a kaleidoscopic
effect, with formation of multiple images.
F
Making a periscope using mirrors and cardboard.
Science
45
WORKSHEET 3
1. How does reflection of light, from smooth and rough surfaces differ from each other?
b. Smoother than
c. Just as smooth as
d. Rougher than
3. If a capital letter R is seen in an ordinary plane mirror, what does it look like?
a. R
b.
R
R
c.
R
d.
4. When light falls on the following objects which among them would show the darkest
shadows. Why?
b. a glass window
d. a water in a glass.
5. Name the process due to which it is possible for us to see the objects itself and not their
image.
6. The inversion of an image, from left to right side, as seen in a plane mirror is called
_____________ inversion.
Science
46
Points to remember
F
Luminous objects emit light. Non luminous objects do not emit light of their own.
We see them by the light they reflect.
F
Light propagates along a straight path. It can spread out in all directions from a
luminous source.
F
Objects, which allow light to pass through them (almost completely), are called
transparent.
F
Objects, which allow only some light to pass through them are called translucent.
F
Objects, which do not allow (almost any) light to pass through them, are called
opaque.
F
A ray is a thin straight line used to depict the propagation of light energy. A
collection of a large number of rays is called a beam of light.
F
A shadow is a dark patch behind an object where light is blocked by an
(opaque)object.
F
The shape and the size of the shadow depend on the angle and distance between
the light source and the object. As distance between them increases the shadow
becomes smaller. The size of the shadow on a screen increases as the distance
between the object and the screen increases.
F
Shadow is generally black in colour while images can be coloured.
F
When the moon's shadow falls on the earth we have a solar eclipse. When the
earth's shadow falls on the moon, we have a lunar eclipse.
F
The bouncing of light off a surface is called reflection.
Tasks
F
Students can collect information on various types of Solar and Lunar Eclipses.
F
Students can also do some research on the properties and composition of
sunlight.
Science
47
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Q1. Choose the correct option in each of the following:
a. Moon is a luminous object and reflects light of the sun towards the earth.
b. Moon is a non luminous object and reflects light of the sun towards the earth.
c. Moon is non luminous and not reflect any light of the Sun towards the earth.
d. Moon gives out its own light in the night and reflects sunlight during the day.
Science
48
5. Why do shadows made by the Sun change in size in day time?
c. Because the Sun appears to move across the sky each day.
7. The diagram shows a child using a periscope to look at an object on the other side of a
wall.
Which diagram shows a correctly drawn ray of light from the object?
Science
49
8. A boy did the following experiment.
He kept a wooden cube in front of a screen. He had three torches with him.
Without changing the position of the cube and the screen, he placed the other two
torches one after the other, in the position of torch 1, and saw the shadow.
1. Torch 1
2. Torch 2
3. Torch 3
4. The size of the shadow will be the same for all the three torches.
a. gets bigger.
b. gets smaller.
Science
50
10. Answer the following questions based on the figure below-
(i) What are the various sources of light here in the above figure?
a. Candle
b. Caver's lamp
c. Mirror
d. Sun
(iv) If his lamp stopped working, what would the caver be able to see?
a. A mirror
d. Nothing
Science
51
11. Study the first pair given and complete the second:
(i) Objects that do not allow light to pass through: opaque:: objects that allow light to
pass partially: ____________.
(ii) Rays of light spreading out from the source: divergent rays: rays of light coming
together to meet at a point:______________.
(iii) Earth in between the sun and the moon: Lunar eclipse: Moon in between the earth
and the sun: _______________________
12. While you are looking at your image in a large plane mirror, when you touch it with
your left hand it appears as if your image has touched it with its right hand. Why?
13. The diagram given below shows the formation of shadow by an opaque object. Study
it carefully to answer the following :
Science
52
i) What happens when the distance between the light source and the object
increases?
ii) What happens when the distance between the object and the screen increases?
14. A few details about the puppet show are given. A screen is placed and light is made to
fall onto the screen from behind. Puppets are held between the light and screen and are
moved according to the story narrated. Based on this, Answer (a) and (b).
a. The screen in the above case was made of the cloth. Which other material could be
used instead of cloth?
(ii) A large transparent plastic sheet as it allows the light to pass through it.
(iii) A sheet of thick paper as it would not allow light to pass through it and the
shadow would be sharp.
(iv) A large sheet of ordinary paper as it would allow light to pass through it.
b. How would the shadow be when the puppets are held close to the screen?
Science
53
15. Identify the position of the source casting the shadow
16.) What is the differences between a black coloured object and the dark shadow?
Science
54
RUBRICS
FOR ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
Parameter ability Beginning Partially Proficient Exemplary
Indicator (1) Proficient (3) (4)
(2)
Explain rectilinear
propagation of light
and illustrate the
phenomenon from
daily life events.
Differentiate between
transparent,
translucent and
opaque objects with
an illustration.
Illustrate the
formation of shadow
with the help of an
activity
Explain the formation
of a pin hole camera
Explain the
construction and
working of a
periscope
Science
55
Resources: Suggested Weblinks-
F
www.icteachers.co.uk/children/sats/light.htm
F
http://www.tutorvista.com/content/physics/physics-iii/physics
F
http://www.practicalphysics.org/go/Default.html
F
http://lgfl.skoool.co.uk/content/keystage3/Physics
Fwww.yteach.co.uk/.../Acetate_LED_Detonator_Luminous_Lunar_Opaque
_Sensor_Solar_Umbra_light_sun_t_page_2.html
F
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/physics/u220phy.html
F
www.wikipedia.com
F
www.answer.com
F
www.brainpop.com
F
www.trachersnet.com
F
Library.thinkquest.org
Science
56