describes materials that you can clearly see through because they let light pass through them

if light passes through a material, we say that material transmits light

describes materials you can’t see through at all, as these materials do not let any light pass through them

an arrow added to a diagram to show the direction that some light is travelling

an unlit area in the shape of an object that is blocking light

Shadows

Science

Sound vibrations

Travelling vibrations

Travelling sound

Reflecting and absorbing sound

Reflecting light from mirrors

How we see things

Reflections in mirrors

In the Making images unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn that white light is made of different colours that can be detected by the eye, and how pinhole cameras and lenses form clear images.

In the Light and how it travels (Y6) unit, pupils learnt that light travels in straight lines, which explains why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them, and objects are seen by the light that reflects back into the eye or travels directly into it from a light source.

This unit explores sound and light waves, including frequencies, echoes, reflection, absorption, and the need for a medium for sound to travel. It also compares light and matter waves, investigates light transmission and colour, and examines wave properties and effects.

Sound, light and vision

Light rays point in the direction that light travels.

Light rays show all of the light coming from an object.

Which of the following statements about light rays are correct?

It takes no time for light to travel from an object to your eyes.

Which of the following statements are correct?

Less light from the lamp reaches your eyes.

White light changes to grey light as it travels.

The further light travels, the more it spreads out.

The darkness between you and the lamp cancels out some of the lamplight.

The darkness between you and the lamp absorbs (soaks up) some of the lamplight.

Why does a lamp look dimmer when you are farther away from it?

describes materials you cannot see through at all

material that lets light pass but you can’t see through it clearly

Match each of the following words with its definition.

Some objects change the direction of light.

Which of the following statements correctly describe why some objects have shadows?

The distance between the tree and the Sun changes.

The distance between the ground and the Sun changes.

The shadow is always on the same side of the tree from the Sun.

The shadow is always on the opposite side of the tree from the Sun.

Which of the following explains why the shadow of a tree on the ground moves during a sunny day?

The darkness in the room cancels out the light.

It is completely dark inside a room. Which of the following statements explains why?

Light from our eyes reaches the object and returns to our eyes.

Light from the object reaches our eyes and returns to the object.

Which of the following statements explains how we can see an object?

There is another, identical room behind the mirror.

Light from the room bounces off the mirror and into our eyes.

The mirror takes a picture of the room, like a camera, and then displays it.

The mirror is controlled by an app that makes it show a picture of the room.

A person stands in a room and looks into a mirror. They can see the room in the mirror. Which of the following statements explains why?

Which of the following is a word meaning ‘what we see in a mirror’?

A dark area that is attached to an object.

A dark area due to an object blocking light.

Which of the following correctly describes what a shadow is?

The shadow of an object is always the same size as the object.

Which of the following statements is correct?

Starter Quiz

It is completely dark inside a room. Which of the following statements explains why?