Properties of Light Answers PDF

Name: ________________________ 17 Curriculum Connection C2.3 Four Properties of Light The properties of light explain how light works and provides us with important information about how we can use light for different purposes. 1. Light Travels in a Straight Path Once light has been produced, it wil...

Name: ________________________ 17 Curriculum Connection C2.3 Four Properties of Light The properties of light explain how light works and provides us with important information about how we can use light for different purposes. 1. Light Travels in a Straight Path Once light has been produced, it will travel in a straight line until it hits something else. We can witness this property by examining a shadow. An object blocks light so that it can’t reach the surface where we see the shadow. If light could bend, it would go around the object. 2. Light Can Be Absorbed When light hits an object, it is sometimes absorbed, which means it does not reflect the light. Wood is an example of material that will absorb light instead of reflect light. When the light waves are absorbed by a material, it means the electrons in the light energy are captured by the matter in the object. Darker colours absorb light while lighter colours reflect light. 3. Light Can Be Reflected Light will reflect off some materials like the Earth. This is why the sky is blue, as the light from the Sun hits the Earth’s surface and the blue light is reflected more than the other colours because it travels in shorter, smaller waves. The angle of the light hitting a material affects its ability to bounce off the material. 4. Light Can Be Refracted When light hits an object, it can sometimes go through the object and bend at an angle. An example of this is when light hits a diamond or water. The light will go through the material and bend out of the other side. © Super Simple Sheets