What to Do
Cut
a small rectangular piece out of the cardboard or Styrofoam, approximately
3/4 of an inch wide (2 centimeters), 4 inches (10 centimeters) long.
Next, push a toothpick into the center of the small cardboard or Styrofoam
piece. Put this piece on top of a larger piece of cardboard or posterboard.
Shine your flashlight on the toothpick to create a shadow line. Try
different ways of making the shadow line change its direction and
its length. |
E X P E R I M E N T 1
Moving
the Flashlight |
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Without
moving the toothpick, make the direction of the shadow line change
by moving the flashlight.
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E
X P E R I M E N T 2
Moving
the Toothpick
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Without
moving the flashlight, but keeping it pointed at the toothpick, move
the toothpick around and observe what happens to the shadow.
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E
X P E R I M E N T 3
Using
the Sun as the Light Source
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You
can also form a shadow line by placing a toothpick in direct sunlight.
This can be done by going outside or to a window that faces the Sun.
What happens to the shadow when you move the toothpick around in the
sunlight? How is it similar or different to the shadow created by
the flashlight? |
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What's Going On
You
should notice some interesting differences between shadows created
by the flashlight and those created by the Sun. Because the Sun
is so far away, you may have noticed that the angle of the shadow
remained the same when you moved the toothpick. Since the light
source of the flashlight was much closer, the shadow behaved differently.
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