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Year 6 · Science · Light · Lesson 2

Shadows and reflection

Shadows and reflection: how shadows form and change size, opaque, translucent and transparent materials, the law of reflection, and periscopes.

Whiteboard video lesson: Shadows and reflection

13-minute video lesson

Teaching, worked examples and 20 practice questions solved step by step.

Watch free for a month

What your child will learn

  • Explain shadow formation
  • Predict shadow size changes
  • State the law of reflection
  • Explain how a periscope works

The method

  1. Straight lines.
  2. Blocked = shadow.
  3. Angle in = out.
  4. Ruler and arrows.

Key words: shadow, opaque, translucent, reflection, normal, periscope.

Worked examples

The first three practice questions from the lesson, with every step.

Question 1

What is a shadow?

  1. Step 1: Dark

Answer: a dark area where light is blocked

Question 2

What kind of material makes the darkest shadow?

  1. Step 1: o...

Answer: opaque

Question 3

Do transparent materials make shadows?

  1. Step 1: Light through

Answer: no (or only very faint)