Year 3 Science · Light and shadows · Summary
Year 3 Science Light and shadows: summary and key words
Part of the Year 3 Science light and shadows chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Chapter summary
| Skill | Method |
|---|---|
| Seeing | We need light to see things. We see an object when light from it enters our eyes. Dark is the absence of light. |
| Light sources | A light source makes its own light, such as the Sun, a torch or a lamp. Most things only reflect light. |
| Reflection | Light bounces off surfaces. A mirror is shiny and reflects light clearly; dull surfaces scatter light. |
| Safety with the Sun | Never look directly at the Sun. Look away, wear a hat with a brim, stand in the shade or wear sunglasses that block UV light. |
| Shadows | A shadow forms when an opaque object blocks light from a light source. It falls on a surface, on the side away from the light. |
| Size and shape of shadows | The closer the torch, the bigger the shadow. The further the surface, the bigger the shadow. The shape depends on the object and the light. |
| Time of day | Shadows are shortest at midday, when the Sun is highest in the sky. |
Can you…?
- I can say that we need light to see things, and that dark is the absence of light
- I can name light sources, and say which things only reflect light
- I can say that light bounces off shiny surfaces such as mirrors, and that dull surfaces scatter light
- I can say why we must never look directly at the Sun, and name ways to protect our eyes
- I can say what a shadow is, and what is needed to make one
- I can read a fair test on shadow size, and describe the pattern in the results
Key terms
- light
- the energy that lets us see things
- light source
- something that makes its own light, such as the Sun, a torch or a lamp
- dark
- the absence of light, which means there is no light at all
- reflect
- to bounce light off a surface
- reflection
- light that bounces off a surface
- mirror
- a very smooth, shiny surface that reflects light clearly
- shadow
- a dark shape that forms when an object blocks light from a light source
- opaque
- an object that light cannot pass through, so it blocks the light and makes a shadow
- surface
- the outside of an object, or the flat place such as a wall or the ground, where a shadow can fall
- UV light
- invisible light, found in sunlight, that can harm the eyes and skin
- fair test
- a test where only one thing is changed, and everything else is kept the same