Year 6 Science: Safety with light and mirrors
Part of the Year 6 Science how we see chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Safety with light and mirrors
The Sun is a very bright light source. Its light is very strong, and it can damage the eyes if we look at the Sun directly.
A mirror can reflect sunlight, so it can send a strong beam into someone's eyes. This is just as dangerous as looking at the Sun itself. Mirrors must never be used to reflect sunlight into anyone's eyes, or onto a person's face.
The table gives safety rules for light and mirrors.
| Rule | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Never look at the Sun | the Sun can damage the eyes, even for a short time |
| Never use a mirror to reflect sunlight into anyone's eyes | a reflected beam is still very strong and can cause harm |
| Use a torch and a mirror only in a dim room, with a grown-up | the light is easier to control, and it is safer |
| Keep torch beams and mirrors away from faces | bright light can hurt the eyes |
Key ideas
- Never look at the Sun, directly or through a mirror or a telescope.
- A mirror can reflect sunlight, so never angle it into someone's eyes.
- Use torches and mirrors safely, in a dim room, with a grown-up.
- Keep bright light away from faces and eyes.
Method. Check the safety rule.
- Read the rule. The table says never use a mirror to reflect sunlight into anyone's eyes.never
- Decide. So it is not safe, and the answer is no.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. Reflected sunlight is still strong. ✓
Method. Read the table.
- Read the table. Keep torch beams and mirrors away from faces.away from faces
- Write the words. So one rule is to keep torch beams away from faces.away from faces
- Write the answer. keep torch beams away from faces
Check. The bright beam can hurt the eyes. ✓
Method. Check the rule.
- Read the rule. The rule says never look at the Sun, directly or through a mirror.never
- Decide. So the answer is no.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. Mirrors do not make the Sun safe. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a mirror does not make sunlight weaker. It reflects the same strong light, so it can cause harm if it is aimed at an eye.
Exam tip
Exam tip. When you write about safety with light, name the source, the risk, and the rule.
Try it (with your teacher, or a grown-up at home). With a grown-up, shine a torch at a mirror in a dim room, and watch the reflected spot on a wall. Keep the beam and the spot away from all faces and eyes. Turn the torch off before you leave the mirror.
Exercise 8E Safety with light and mirrors
Method. Read the safety rule.
- Read the rule. The Sun can damage the eyes, so it must never be looked at.never
- Decide. So the answer is no.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. Never look at the Sun. ✓
Method. Think about reflected light.
- Think about the mirror. A mirror reflects the strong light of the Sun, which is still bright.still bright
- Decide. So the reflected light can harm an eye, and the answer is yes.yes
- Write the answer. yes
Check. Reflected sunlight can be dangerous. ✓
Method. Read the table.
- Read the table. The table says keep torch beams away from faces.away from faces
- Write the answer. So the beam is kept away from eyes.away from eyes
- Write the answer. away from eyes
Check. Bright light can hurt the eyes. ✓
Method. Read the table.
- Read the table. The table says never use a mirror to reflect sunlight into anyone's eyes.never
- Decide. So the answer is no.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. Faces and eyes must be kept safe from bright light. ✓
Method. Read the safety rule.
- Read the rule. The rule says never look at the Sun through a mirror.never
- Decide. So the answer is no.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. A mirror does not make the Sun safe. ✓
Method. Read the table.
- Read the table. The table says to use a torch and a mirror only in a dim room, with a grown-up.dim room
- Write the word. So the word is dim.dim
- Write the answer. dim
Check. A dim room is easier to control. ✓
Method. Read the rules.
- Read the rules. The rules say never use a mirror to reflect sunlight, and never look at the Sun through a mirror.never
- Decide. Even away from eyes, the rules say it is not safe to reflect sunlight, so the answer is no.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. Sunlight should never be reflected with a mirror. ✓
Method. Think about reflection.
- Think about the reflection. A mirror reflects the same strong light; it does not weaken it.same strong light
- Decide. So Tom is not right.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. Reflected light can still harm the eyes. ✓
Method. Read the rules.
- Read the rules. The rules say never look at the Sun, directly, or through a mirror.never look
- Pick one. Any of these rules is a correct answer.one rule
- Write the answer. Accept any rule that says never look at the Sun, even with sunglasses, or through a mirror or telescope.
Check. The Sun is the strongest light we see. ✓
Method. Think about the reflected light.
- Think about the light. Reflected sunlight is still very strong.strong
- Think about the eye. So it can damage the eyes in the same way as looking at the Sun.same way
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says the reflected sunlight is still very strong, so it can damage the eyes in the same way.
Check. Reflection does not reduce the strength enough to be safe. ✓
Method. Think about the beam.
- Think about the beam. A torch left on may shine into someone's eyes.eyes
- Think about safety. Turning it off removes that risk.risk
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says a torch left on could shine into someone's eyes or be reflected by the mirror, so it is safer to turn it off.
Check. Turning off the light keeps everyone safe. ✓