Shadows for Grade 5: Explore Light and Shadow Concepts

Interesting aspects of our daily lives are shadows. Objects are born when light from a source—for example the Sun or a lamp—is obstructed. We will investigate in this lesson what shadows are, how they form, their characteristics, and their connections to events like day and night & solar eclipses.

Shadows for Grade 5

What are shadows?

A dark area or shape formed by an item blocking a surface of a light source is a shadow. Shadows reveal to us how light moves in straight lines & how things respond to light. Shadows cannot be if there is no light.

How are shadows developed?

Shadows are formed as a result of

  • Light is emitted from a light source, which can be the Sun or a bulb.

  • An opaque object traps the path of the light (an object that is unable to allow light).

  • The shadow falls on a surface (like a wall or the ground).

 


Formation of shadows

Light Source

Opaque Object

Surface

Shadow

Sun

Tree

Ground

Dark Shape on the Ground

Bulb

Book

Wall

Dark Shape on Wall


Activity: Create Your Own Shadow

At home, you might experiment with creating shadows.

  1. Starting a sharp room energy lamp or flashlight.

  2. Place your hand or a toy in front of the light.

  3. Just pay attention to the shadow wall or floor. Move the object closer or further from the light & see how the shadow changes.

 


Properties of Shadows

Shadows have some interesting characteristics:

Properties of Shadows

Property

Explanation

Shape

Shadows take the form of the object obstructing the light.

Size

Depending on how far away the object is from the light source a shadow will change size.

Color

Shadows are typically dark because light is prevented from reaching them.

Direction

Notice that the direction of the shadow depends on where the light source is located.

 


Elements influencing shadows:

Position of the Light Source: Since shadows are long in the morning & evening, if the main light is low; if it is directly above at noon, they are small.

Distance Between Object and Light Source: The closer the light is to the object then the more shadow will be.")

Type of Object: Opaque objects cast crisp shadows; translucent objects cast blurry shadows.


Experiments aimed at grasping shadows

Experiment One: Different sizes of the shadow

  • Hold something opaque in front of the flashlight, such as a small toy.

  • Bring the torch closer to and further away from the object & observe the change in size of the shadow.

Experiment Two: Direction of the Shadow

  • Put an object in the sun at different times (evening, midday & morning).

  • Notice how the angle of the shadow changes depending on where the Sun is in the sky.


Causes of Day and Night:

Causes of Day and Night

The rotation of the Earth on its axis gives night & day. Let's clarify how these are operated:

  • The Earth rotates every 24 hours.

  • Daytime takes place on the side of a planet facing the Sun.

  • One part of the planet that lacks light is the sun's effect.

This movement of the Earth explains why we see the Sun setting in the west and rising in the east. The direction & length of shadows are also influenced throughout the day by the moving position of the Sun.

Time of Day

Position of the Sun

Shadow Length

Shadow Direction

Morning

Low in the Sky

Long

West

Noon

Directly Overhead

Short

Under Object

Evening

Low in the Sky

Long

East


Activity: shadow clock

Using a stick, you can create a basic shadow clock.

  1. Erect a stick in the ground.

  2. Mark the tip of its shadow every hour.

  3. See how the length of the shadow all day varies & it travels.

 


Eclipses, among other events.

One celestial body moves into the shadow of another, causing an eclipse. There are two primary forms of solar cores:

1. Solar Eclipse

When the Moon crosses between the Earth & the Sun, solar eclipse happen slope endsünchen Earth by means of.

  • Position: Sun to Moon & Earth.

  • Types: whole, partial, annular solar eclipses

In a solar eclipse, get time-related energy patterns are driven from the sun into the Earth.

  • The day returns only during the sky.

  • Do not ever stare straight at a solar eclipse without proper safeguards since it may damage your eyes.

2. Lunar Eclipse

An eclipse of the moon takes place when the Earth crosses the Moon & the Sun, so blocking the Moon's shadow.

Position: Sun → Earth forces → Moon's location.

Types: Full & Partial Lunar Eclipses

In a lunar eclipse

  • The Moon seems red, which is sometimes known a "Blood Moon."

Type of Eclipse

Cause

Visibility

Solar Eclipse

Moon blocks Sun’s light

Observed from parts of the planet Earth

Lunar Eclipse

Earth’s shadow covers the Moon

At Night Wherever You Are in the World

 


Eclipses, solar and lunar

  • Flashlight and global solar & lunar eclipse.

  • Observe the Moon during a lunar eclipse; write down its shape & color.

Interesting info about shadows:

  1. A sundial allows you to keep time through shadows.

  2. When the sun is rising or setting, the longest shadow exists.

  3. Your shadow is the shortest at noon.

  4. Like other animals, groundhogs rely on shadows as a way to predict seasons — as on Groundhog Day.

  5. There is no air to refract light on the Moon, so shadows are sharper.

 


Summary

  • Opaque objects that block light create shadows.

  • The direction of a shadow and its size are determined by the object's position & the light source.

  • The rotation of the Earth also influences shadows, so day & night result from it.

  • Ecliptical events are occasional occures of shadows in space.

Understanding shadows helps us to learn more about light and its effects on the surroundings. Scientific processes aside, shadows give our world charm & enigma. Look at how shadows everywhere change & move.

 

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