Science
We are learning about 'Light' in Year 6.
LO: To know how simple optical instruments work
How do see the objects around us? With our eyes. It is a very special organ of the human body which enables us to view all things around us. An eye is one of the most important optical instruments.
How does light travel?
FAST and STRAIGHT.
How STRAIGHT?
Perfectly straight, until something bends it. The straight paths of light are called LIGHT RAYS.
Controlling Light
There are THREE basic ways to control light:
- Block it ... with something (this makes a shadow)
- Reflect it (change its path with a mirror)
This is called a REFLECTION.
- Bend it
Change its direction by making it pass into another transparent material of different density, like glass or water. This is called REFRACTION, and it's how lenses work.
Can you name the following objects?
... and there are many other examples such as...
- contact lenses,
- lenses for TV, movie, and photographic cameras,
- fax machines, telescopes,
- microscopes and magnifiers,
- medical systems
- other projectors (overhead, movie, slide, TV)
Activities to try at home!