When rays of light from the Sun reach the Earth, they cause shadows to form. This happens because:
• light travels in straight lines
• light cannot pass through an opaque object (an object that blocks light)
The position of the Sun in the sky affects how long the shadow formed by an object will be.
Shadow )Fig. 36.3 How shadows are formed EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION 36.1
How does the distance of an object from a light source affect the length of the shadow formed? Equipment
Golf ball on a string A3 sheet of white paper
Metre stick Torch
Method 1. Set up the equipment as shown in Fig. 36.4.
2. Use a metre stick to measure a distance of 20 cm between the torch and the golf ball.
Ruler Sun Rays of light Opaque object
3. Turn on the torch and lower the main lighting in the room. 4. Mark out the width of the shadow using a pencil. 5. Measure the diameter of the shadow formed on the paper using a ruler.
SAFETY • Take care, as you will be working in a dimly lit environment.
6. Record the diameter in your Experimental Investigations Log. Repeat two more times to get the average.
7. Follow steps 1–6 for the following distances between the golf ball and the torch: 40 cm, 60 cm, 80 cm and 100 cm.
Shadow String Golf ball Torch
)Fig. 36.4 To investigate how distance from a light source affects the length of the shadow formed
Ruler
Paper j Go to page 106 of your Experimental Investigations Log to write up this investigation.