💡 Light & Shadows

How Light Travels

Light travels in straight lines called rays at about 186,000 miles per second. When light hits an object, three things can happen:

• 🔥 Absorbed — the object soaks up the light (dark objects absorb more)
• 💥 Reflected — the light bounces off (mirrors, white surfaces)
• 🔍 Transmitted — the light passes through (glass, water)

Transparent, Translucent, Opaque

• 🔍 Transparent — light passes through clearly (glass, clear plastic, water)
• 🔋 Translucent — some light passes through, scattered (wax paper, frosted glass, thin curtain)
• ⬛ Opaque — no light passes through (wood, metal, brick, your hand)

How Shadows Form

A shadow forms when an opaque object blocks light. The shadow is always on the opposite side from the light source.

Shadow size depends on the angle of the light: when the sun is overhead at noon, shadows are short. When the sun is low near sunrise/sunset, shadows are very long.