Second Year Science

Light
 In this topic:
• Light as a form of energy
• Speed of light
• Light travels in straight lines
• Shadows
• Luminous and non-luminous
• Reflection
• Refraction
• Light dispersion
 Light is a form of energy
Energy: the ability
E to do work

Work = moving an object

So………..

Energy = the ability to make things move

 The Sun
• Our primary source of energy

Plants
Heat trapped
Animals below surface
Weather of the earth
conditions
Food

Wind, tidal & Geothermal

Fossil
solar energy energy
fuels
 Speed of light
• Light travels REALLY fast

• Speed of light = 3 x 108 ms-1

• = 300, 000, 000 metres in one second!

 OP34: To show that light travels in
straight lines
• Pieces of wood with holes in them
• 3 stands and clamps
• 1 light box
• String
 Shadows: why are they formed?
• Light travels in straight
lines
• Light can’t pass
through some
materials
• When light can’t get
through, it’s blocked:
forms a shadow!
Lunar eclipse
Solar eclipse
 Luminous
Luminous object: E an object that makes
and gives out its own light

Examples
• Sun
• Filament in a light bulb
• Candle flame
Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence
 Non-luminous
Non-luminous object:
E reflects light from
another source

Examples
• People
• Books
• Roads
1. Light shines on an object
2. Light reflects off of the object
and enters our eyes
3. We see the REFLECTED LIGHT
 Light reflection
• Light reflection is when light bounces off an
object
• We will focus on FLAT SURFACES

Plane mirror = flat E surfaced mirror

OP38a: Investigating light reflected by
a plane mirror
• Set up equipment

• Draw dots along lines

of light
• Trace lines

• Draw a line at 90 ° to
the mirror
• Measure:
– Angle of
incidence
– Angle of
reflection
 OP38b: Making a periscope
• Retort stand
• 2 clamps
• 2 mirrors
• Piece of paper
with ‘Periscope’
written on it
 Refraction
Refraction: the bending
E
of light as it
passes from one medium to another
To show refraction through a glass
block
 Refraction of light through a lens
• We will look at two lens types:

1. Concave Lens
• Shaped with sides
curving INWARDS
• Like a cave!
Refraction of light through a lens
Light DIVERGES (moves apart) when it
passes through a concave lens
Refraction of light through a lens

2. Convex lens

• Shaped with sides

curving OUTWARDS
Refraction of light through a lens
Light CONVERGES (comes together) when
it passes through a convex lens
 Uses of light refraction
TELESCOPES
 Uses of light refraction
Microscope Glasses & contact lenses
Magnifying glass
• Convex lens
• Creates a virtual image
• Our brain sees a
magnified image
 Light dispersion
• Light from bulbs, sun etc. = white light
White light = MIXTURE of coloured lights

• Sometimes the mixture gets separated

Example:
• Rainbow
• Reflections from a CD
 Dispersion of light and spectrum of
white light
• Place prism and ray box on a sheet of white
paper
• Aim the light ray through the prism
• Observe the result
• Identify the
colours
Light spectrum colours