Shadows are almost always present, but most of us haven„¢t ever stopped to interpret them as evidence of light„¢s varied interactions with matter. The six activities in this module allow students to explore the behavior of shadows, light„¢s interactions with matter, and the straight line nature of light. Working with light beams, students quantify the size of a shadow and use shadows to mathematically determine the sizes of objects. The activities in this module (and in the related LAB-P120 and LAB-P130 modules) were developed at the University of Kentucky and include materials designed for seamless use with LAB-AIDS‚® Light Stations. LIGHT STATIONS NOT INCLUDED.

 

1. Exploring the behavior of shadows and the straight line nature of light
   
2. Characterizing shadows and the effect of different light sources
   
3. Working with light beams, and examining light„¢s interactions with matter
   
4. Quantifying the size of a shadow
   
5. & 6. Two investigations that apply shadows to graphically and mathematically determine unknown sizes of objects