A student shines a flashlight through a small hole in cardboard. A bright spot appears on the wall directly across from the hole. What does this show about light?

During an investigation, a book is placed between a lamp and a wall. A dark shadow forms behind the book. Why does the shadow have the book's shape?

A class points a laser pointer through three lined-up holes in cardboard screens. The dot reaches the last screen only when the holes are in one line. What does this show?

A tall cup sits in sunlight near a window. The cup makes a shadow on the table on the side away from the Sun. Why is that side dark?

A student shines a flashlight down a long tube and sees light on the floor at the far end. When the tube is bent sharply, the spot disappears. Why?

A fence post stands between the Sun and a sidewalk. Its shadow stretches away from the post in one direction. What explains the shadow's position?

A straw in a glass of water looks bent at the water surface. When the straw is taken out, it is straight. What caused the bent appearance?

A pencil rests partly in water. From the side, the underwater part looks shifted. What is happening to the light from the pencil?

A narrow beam enters a glass block at an angle. Inside the block, the beam travels in a new direction. What best explains the change?

A coin at the bottom of a cup seems closer after water is added. The coin did not move. Why does its position look different?

A fish in a pond appears a little higher than its real position. A student looks from above the water. What causes this difference?

A glass lens makes letters on a page look larger. The paper stays flat and unchanged. What does the lens do to the light from the letters?

A prism is placed in a beam of white light, and bands of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet appear. What does this show?

After rain, sunlight passes through tiny drops and a rainbow appears. What are the drops doing to sunlight?

A teacher uses a prism to spread white light into colored bands. She then places a second prism, turned the other way, so the colors join back together. What color is the light that comes out?

A student sees red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet after white light passes through a prism. What name describes this spread of colors?

A student uses a filter to let only red light into a glass prism. What comes out of the prism?

Sunlight hits a dark cloth, and the cloth feels warmer after a few minutes. Is the light being reflected, bent, or absorbed?

A beam of light strikes a shiny metal spoon and bounces toward a wall. Is the light being reflected, bent, or absorbed?

A beam enters a water-filled tank at an angle and continues along a different path inside the water. Is the light being reflected, bent, or absorbed?