In this article, we dive into a cool experiment that helps us learn about light, shadows, and the shapes we see. We’ll use a card with a small round hole to show how light behaves when it shines through different shapes.
First, we start with a card that has a small round hole. We hold it up to cast a shadow on the wall. Before we do this, we try to guess what the shadow will look like. Most people think they’ll see a shadow of the card, but what they actually see is the outline of the hole, which is a bit surprising!
Next, we use a bigger card with a larger hole. We predict if the shadow will be bigger than the first one. Many think it will be twice as big. But when we compare them, the shadows look about the same size, although one is a bit lighter than the other.
Now, things get interesting when we use a card with a triangle hole. We guess the shadow will look like a triangle, but some think it might look like a circle. When we hold it up, the shadow is a circle, which surprises everyone!
We start to wonder why all the shadows look like circles, no matter the shape of the hole. This makes us think about how light and our eyes work. It seems that when shapes are not clear, our eyes see them as circles. This makes us question how we see shapes from far away and how light affects what we see.
We then talk about the sun, which is the light source. We notice that the sunlight passing through the holes makes circular shadows on the wall. This helps us realize that the shadows are actually images of the sun. The round shape of the sun and the Earth makes us think more about the shapes we see around us.
The experiment ends with everyone thinking about what they’ve learned about light and shadows. One person remembers how pinhole cameras work by making images through small holes. This shows us that light behaves in ways we can predict, but our eyes can sometimes trick us.
Through this fun experiment, we learn not only about the science of light and shadows but also about how we see and understand the world around us.
Shadow Shape Hunt: Go outside on a sunny day and find different objects like leaves, toys, or your hand. Hold them up to the sunlight and observe the shapes of the shadows they cast. Try to guess the shape before you see it. Are the shadows always the same shape as the object? Discuss with a friend or family member why the shadows might look different.
Create Your Own Pinhole Camera: With the help of an adult, make a simple pinhole camera using a cardboard box, some aluminum foil, and wax paper. Poke a small hole in the foil and cover one end of the box with it. Place the wax paper on the opposite end inside the box. Take it outside and point the hole towards a bright object. What do you see on the wax paper? How does this relate to the shadows you learned about in the experiment?
Question Time: Think about why the shadows in the experiment always looked like circles, even when the holes were different shapes. Discuss with a partner: How does the shape of the sun influence the shadows we see? Why do you think our eyes might see things differently from what they actually are?
