Grades: 1 to 5
Duration: 1/2 Hour – 1 Hour
Supplies: Activity sheets, A clear plastic bag or transparency, a piece of cardboard, a piece of waxed paper, a set of 3 Light BLOX (red, green, blue)
Transmission of light
REMOVE the line cap from the front of the LightBLOX. Turn on ONE Light Blox. Place the clear plastic baggie or transparency in front of the light and point it towards the table or the wall.
The light that passes through the clear baggie or transparency is called TRANSMITTED light. Some of the light also bounces, or REFLECTS off the baggie or transparency as well.
What are some other transparent things (windows…)
Download the attached PDF for student worksheets and detailed information on the concepts in this lesson. Allowing students to do the best they can to describe what they are observing before giving them the term for it (transparent, transmission etc) will strengthen their observation skills and keep them engaged.
Turn on ONE Light Blox. Place the piece of waxed paper in front of the light and point it towards the table or the wall.
Some of the light passes through (is transmitted) the waxed paper, but much of it is blocked by the semi transparent material, waxed paper.
What are some other semi transparent things (some curtains…)
Turn on ONE LightBLOX. Place the piece of cardboard in front of the light and point it towards the table or the wall.
Here light is completely Blocked – none of it transmits through the opaque material (cardboard). Some of the light is reflected off the cardboard too – that is the light we see.
What are some other opaque things (your hand…)