Year 6 Science · Light travels in straight lines · Summary
Year 6 Science Light travels in straight lines: summary and key words
Part of the Year 6 Science light travels in straight lines chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Chapter summary
| Skill | Method |
|---|---|
| Straight lines | Light appears to travel in straight lines. Holes in a line let light through; a block stops it. |
| Shadows | A shadow is made when an opaque object blocks light. It has the same shape as the object, on the side away from the light. |
| Distance | A nearer object gives a bigger shadow. A further object gives a smaller shadow. |
| Pinhole images | Light from the top of an object crosses the hole and lands at the bottom of the screen, so the image is upside down. |
| Safety | Never look at the Sun, even with sunglasses or through a pinhole. Never shine a torch into people's eyes. |
Can you…?
- I can show that light appears to travel in straight lines, and use a ray to show it
- I can explain why a shadow has the same shape as the object that casts it
- I can explain why a nearer object makes a bigger shadow, using data from a table
- I can explain why a pinhole camera makes an upside-down image
- I can describe safe rules for light, and never look at the Sun
Key terms
- ray
- a straight line with an arrow that shows the direction of light
- opaque
- a material that light cannot pass through
- transparent
- a material that lets light pass through clearly
- shadow
- a dark shape made when an opaque object blocks light
- light source
- an object that gives out its own light, such as the Sun, a lamp or a torch
- pinhole camera
- a box with a very small hole in the front, which makes an upside-down image on a screen at the back
- image
- a picture of an object made by light, for example on a screen
- distance
- how far one thing is from another, measured in centimetres here