Scribd
Upload
935 views

Shadow Lab

The document summarizes an experiment on light and shadows. It investigates how the distance between a light source and an object affects the size of the shadow. The experiment uses a ray lamp as the light source and a glue stick as the object. Data is collected on the length and width of shadows cast at different distances. The results show that closer distances produce larger shadows, supporting the hypothesis. Some experimental errors occurred from the backdrop not being perfectly perpendicular. Overall, the experiment found that shadow size decreases as the distance between light and object increases.

Uploaded by

api-306730569
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
935 views

Shadow Lab

The document summarizes an experiment on light and shadows. It investigates how the distance between a light source and an object affects the size of the shadow. The experiment uses a ray lamp as the light source and a glue stick as the object. Data is collected on the length and width of shadows cast at different distances. The results show that closer distances produce larger shadows, supporting the hypothesis. Some experimental errors occurred from the backdrop not being perfectly perpendicular. Overall, the experiment found that shadow size decreases as the distance between light and object increases.

Uploaded by

api-306730569
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

An Investigation on Light and Shadows

Introduction
Light travels in straight lines. When light reaches an object, it can travel through the object if the
object is transparent. Also, it can be reflected from a shiny object or light can be absorbed if the
object is opaque (such as a box). As a result, shadows are formed when light hits an opaque object
which prevents the light beams from passing through. Therefore, when an object blocks the lights
path, then darkness appears on the other side. This darkness is called a shadow.
The possible factors that could affect the size of the shadow are the distance between the light and
the object, the distance between the light and the screen, size and shape of the object, the angles
where the screen is placed and the light source. The factor which will be further investigated in this
experiment is the distance between the light and the object and the size of the shadow casted.
Aim
To find out the relationship between the sizes of the shadow when the distance of object from the
light source is shorten or lengthen.
Variables
Independent variable: Distance of object from the ray lamp
Dependent variable: Size of the shadow
Control variables

Description

Same object (glue stick)

For consistency, the same object is used to


create the shadow

Environment

The lights were turned off through out the


whole experiment

Hypothesis
I predict the closer the object is to the ray lamp the bigger the shadow. This is because the object
blocks out more of the light. If the object is further away from the ray lamp then it will block less of
the light. Therefore, this will produce a smaller shadow.

Apparatus
Materials
Ruler (30cm)

Quantity
1
1

Materials

Quantity

Ray lamp

Power pack

Board/screen

Free standing
object

Electronic device
EG.laptop or
notebook for
recording data

Diagram of
apparatus setup

Method
1.
2.

Gather all equipment listed in the apparatus


Set up the equipment according to the diagram above ( you will need a table to fit all of the
equipment)
3. Plug in the wires for the ray lamp and the power pack
2

4.

Turn on the power pack by pressing the green switch on the power pack and the switch on the
plug

1.

Move the object 1 cm away from the ray lamp

5.
6.
7.

Use a 30 cm ruler to measure the length and width of the shadow casted on the board
Record your data in your notebook
Repeat steps 5 to 7 until you have a minimum of 12 different measurements and a maximum of
20.

Fair test
The same object will be used to create the shadow throughout the experiment or else the data or
measurements will be all messed up.
Safety precautions
-Make sure your hands are dry before plugging in the wires. ( To avoid electrocution).
-Dont turn the voltage to 15 on the power pack. (To avoid overheating and electrical fires).

Data Collection
Distance between Length of the
the ray lamp and shadow (cm)
object (cm)

Width of the
shadow (cm)

18

10

17

4.5

11

16

4.2

12

15.5

13

14.5

3.7
3

Distance between Length of the


the ray lamp and shadow (cm)
object (cm)

Width of the
shadow (cm)

14

14

3.5

15

13.5

3.2

16

13

3.2

17

13

18

12.5

19

12

2.8

20

11.5

2.5

21

11

2.5

22

11

2.5

23

10.8

2.5

Data

Analysis

Conclusion
The aim of the experiment is to determine the size of the shadow by shortening or lengthening the
distance between the light and the object. The shorter the distance is from the lamp, the bigger the
size of the shadow. According to the results, as the distance is shorten between the ray lamp and
glue stick, the bigger the size of the shadow in terms of its width and length. Referring to the graph,
it is apparent there is a negative correlation. It consistently shows a pattern as the object is further
away from the ray lamp; the size of the shadow gets smaller. Overall, the results were sufficient to
support my hypothesis. Overall, these results supported my hypothesis
Evaluation
An experimental error that we noticed was the board as the backdrop for the shadow casted. The
board was not exactly at 90 degrees which could have affected the size of the shadow. Essentially,
this led to inconsistent data. As a result, there are a few anomalies/points which did not touch the
trend line because there are some mistakes when we were recording data such as the screen/ board
was not standing in a 90 angle which caused the results to be un accurate.
It is imperative to use a strong standing board that can stand at a 90 degrees angle to the ground and
will not be altered. At the same time, it is important to keep all other variables constant.
Further improvements can be made to the experiment, we could use another object that could stand
at a 90 angle as a wall.

You might also like