How Light Travels (Part 4)

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

observation
experiment

Materials Needed

paper clips
rubber bands
string
cups
aluminum foil

Safety First

Be careful with scissors — ask an adult for help if needed.
Do not look directly at the sun or bright lights.
Clean up spills immediately to prevent slipping.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read about Waves 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?