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How does light travel?

Source: licencja: CC 0.

Link to the lesson

Before you start you should know
  • that stars emit their own light;

  • that shadow is created, if something obstructs the sun rays.

You will learn
  • explain the concept of visible light;

  • to discuss examples of experiments showing that light propagates in straight lines;

  • to discuss the relationship between the propagation of light on straight lines and the formation of solar eclipses and lunar eclipses.

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Nagranie dźwiękowe dotyczące rozchodzenia się światła.

How does light propagate?

Light travels exclusively along a straight line in given mediummediummedium, e.g. in vacuum, air or water. This rule also applies to sun rays. They propagate from the Sun in straight lines, reaching also this part of Earth which at given moment faces the Sun.

Similar to all planets, Earth is opaque. Hence, half of the Earth globe is nearly always illuminated by Sun rays and there is day on it, while the second half is in shadow, and there is night on it. Sometimes the Sun, the Moon and Earth are aligned in one line. At that time, the Moon casts shadow on Earth surface, and people in that area can observe solar eclipse.

Task 1

Before you do the „Rectilinear propagation of light” experiment, write down the research question and the hypothesis. Then follow the attached instructions. Make observations during the task, and finally - conclusions.

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Polecenie sformułuj pytania, hipotezy, obserwacje i wnioski przed eksperymentem „Rectilinear propagation of light”. Before you do the „Rectilinear propagation of light” experiment, write down the research question and the hypothesis. Then follow the attached instructions. Make observations during the task, and finally - conclusions. Research question (Uzupełnij). Hypothesis (Uzupełnij). Observations (Uzupełnij). Conclusions (Uzupełnij).
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Ilustracja interaktywna przedstawia cztery grafiki ilustrujące rozchodzenie się światła przepuszczonego przez otwory w pudełku. Podpisano: 1. Take the box and make holes in the opposite walls. Place the box at a distance of about 2 m from a wall or billboard. The holes in the box and the light source should be directed in a straight line, 2. Tilt the box in any direction. The holes in the box and the light source should be directed in a straight line, 3. Direct the light source out of the holes on the box, 4. Position the holes in the box and the light source in such a way that they are not directed in a straight line.
Rectilinear propagation of light
Source: GroMar Sp. z o.o., licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.
Important!

The light visible to humans is the visible spectrumvisible spectrumvisible spectrum. However, thermal (infrared) or ultraviolet radiation is also light – we cannot see it, but we know it exists thanks to various instruments.

How is shadow cast?

When light meets an opaque object, shadowshadowshadow, i.e. space deprived of direct access to light rays, appears directly behind it. There is no complete darkness in the shadow, because some light can get there in the result of reflection and dispersion of light in the adjacent areas.

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Shadows
Source: gregovish, http://pixabay.com, licencja: CC 0 1.0.
Powstawanie cienia
Observation 1

Checking how shadow is cast.

You will need
  • two candles,

  • a discretionary object, e.g. a block,

  • a screen, which can be a wall or a large, plain cardboard.

Instruction
  1. Light one candle, and place it at some distance from the screen.

  2. Place the object between the candle and the screen.

  3. Slowly move the candle – what do you see on the screen?

  4. Light the second candle and place it at the distance of several centimetres from the other. Observe the shadow cast by the object.

Summary

After the illumination of the object with one candle, shadow was cast on the screen, as the object covered it from the light rays. The movement of the candle causes simultaneous movement of cast shadow, as the direction, from which light comes, changes. Adding of the second candle results in casting of two shadows of the object.

Task 2

Observe the shadows of various opaque objects. Turn the objects around at different angles in relation to the light source and change their distance from the screen.

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Exercise 1
Ćwiczenie wskaż zjawiska, które są konsekwencją prostoliniowego rozchodzenia się światła. Możliwe odpowiedzi: 1. Solar and lunar eclipses, 2. The perception of ultraviolet radiation by some animals, 3. Thermal radiation, 4. Night on the unlit side of Earth
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Exercise 2
Wybierz dowolne angielskie słówko ze słowniczka i zapytaj kolegę o jego znaczenie.
Source: GroMar Sp. z o.o., licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.

Summary

  • Light travels along a straight line.

  • Shadow is created behind opaque objects.

  • After hitting of an opaque obstacle, light can be reflected or dispersed.

Keywords

shadow, medium, visible spectrum

Glossary

shadow
shadow
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Nagranie dźwiękowe dotyczące słówka shadow.

cień – obszar pozbawiony bezpośredniego dostępu do światła na skutek ustawienia przeszkody na drodze promieni świetlnych

medium
medium
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Nagranie dźwiękowe dotyczące słówka medium.

ośrodek – środowisko o określonych właściwościach, np. powietrze, woda, próżnia

visible spectrum
visible spectrum
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Nagranie dźwiękowe dotyczące słówka visible spectrum.

światło widzialne – światło, które widzimy gołym okiem