Science · Chapter 8 · ICSE Class 5

Light and Shadows

Shadows change shape and size depending on where the light comes from. Drag the sun higher or lower and watch the shadow change.

The Shadow Machine
The sun is low, so the shadow is long.
20°

Try it: slide close to 90° for the shortest shadow, like at midday.

8.1

What is light?

Light is a form of energy that lets us see things. It comes from a source — either natural, like the sun or fire, or artificial, like a bulb or a torch. Light always travels in a straight line.

Try this — Shine a torch at a wall through a straight tube — the light passes through easily. Bend the tube, and the light gets blocked, showing that light can only travel straight, not around corners.
8.2

Transparent, translucent, and opaque

Transparent
Clear glass

Lets almost all light pass through — you can see clearly through it.

Translucent
Frosted glass

Lets some light pass through, but you can't see a clear image.

Opaque
Wood, Metal

Blocks light completely — nothing passes through.

8.3

What is a shadow?

1How shadows form

A shadow forms when an opaque object blocks light travelling from its source, creating a dark area on the surface behind it.

2Can transparent objects make shadows?

Transparent objects like clear glass let light pass through, so they cast little to no shadow. Translucent objects cast a faint, blurry shadow.

8.4

What changes the size of a shadow?

A shadow's size depends on the position of the light source. When the light is low (like the sun early morning or evening), shadows are long. When the light is high overhead (like the sun at noon), shadows are short. Moving the object closer to the light source also makes its shadow bigger.

Watch out — A shadow doesn't change size just from the object moving — the light source's position (or distance) is what matters most. The object's actual size never changes, only its shadow's size does.
Practice

Exercises

Tap a question to reveal its answer once you've tried it yourself.

Assess

Sample tests

Two 20-mark, 30-minute tests. Reveal answers question by question.