S2.6.5 For the adult
Big and small shadows
Why is my shadow big near a lamp and small far away?
What this chapter teaches
A shadow falls on the side away from the light. It grows as a thing moves nearer a lamp, because the light spreads out like a fan, and in sunlight it hardly changes.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- What do you think happens to the shadow when your hand moves nearer the torch?
- Why does a shadow in sunlight stay about the same size when a thing moves?
- How could you make a shadow twice as tall as the card?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Say which side of a thing its shadow falls on
- Explain how a lamp makes a shadow bigger or smaller
- Say why this hardly shows in sunlight
What they copy into their notebook
A shadow falls on the side away from the light. It has the outline of the thing, but no colour. Move a thing nearer a lamp and its shadow grows. In sunlight this hardly shows.