How Light Travels (Part 3)

What You'll Learn

Light travels in straight lines and can be reflected, refracted, or absorbed. Mirrors reflect light, lenses refract (bend) light, and dark surfaces absorb light.

Key Words

data
observation
experiment

Materials Needed

straws
paper clips
rubber bands
string
cups

Safety First

Dispose of materials properly after the experiment.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read about Engineering and Design and write down three key facts.

Step 2 — Do

Design an experiment to test a hypothesis. Identify your independent variable, dependent variable, and controls. Run the experiment and present results.

Step 3 — Observe

Compare the before and after states.

Step 4 — Record

Write your conclusion: did the results match your hypothesis? What would you change next time?

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What is sound?