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Light from a candle flame travels in straight lines.

Light

As a part of their study of Science, children in KS2 will look at light. This quiz is about various aspects of light such as sources of light, how light travels and how reflection and refraction occur.

Light, or illumination, is a form of energy that travels in waves, like sound. Light is a fascinating topic to investigate in science lessons. You can find different sources of light, such as a candle or the Sun. You can also study reflection by looking how mirrors affect light. Refraction is something else you can look at. Refraction is when light 'bends' as it passes through different materials like water or glass. The light we can see, which is called visible light, is part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum includes radio waves, microwaves and x-rays.

Can you name some sources of light? Do you know which materials are good for reflection? See how much you've learned about light by trying this quiz.

Light travels slightly more slowly through air than through space. It is slowed down a little bit more by glass and which of the following?

Metal

Water

Concrete

Wood

Metal, concrete and wood are opaque materials that do not transmit light (let light pass through them)

Visible light contains many colours. Which of the following is not one of these colours?

Green

Yellow

Black

Red

Visible, or 'white' light does not include the colour black. The colours of visible light are those of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). Objects look black when they absorb all of the light shining on them

Which of these is not a source of light?

A candle flame

The Sun

The Moon

A torch

The Moon does not produce any light - it only reflects the light of the Sun

Imagine a candle flame. Light from the candle flame travels in which direction?

In arcs

In straight lines

In random lines

All of the above

Light always travels in straight lines - we know this because a beam of light cannot curve around an object. If you hold a book between your eyes and the candle flame, you will not be able to see the flame - its light cannot travel through or around the book

There are forms of light which are invisible to the human eye. Which of these is an example?

Ultraviolet

Reflections

Dark matter

Starlight

Ultraviolet (UV) light is visible to some insects and animals. Bumblebees can see UV light, for example

A submarine's periscope allows someone on the boat to see objects that are above the water. How is this possible?

Light reflecting off the object curves as it enters the periscope

Light reflecting off the object is transmitted as it enters the periscope

Mirrors within the periscope reflect the light, enabling it to change direction

Periscope is another name for window

Modern submarines have replaced mirrors with prisms which can also magnify the reflections

Why does a green apple look green?

It absorbs green light, but reflects the other colours

It reflects green light, but absorbs all of the other colours

It absorbs green light, but transmits all of the other colours

It transmits all of the light

The colour we see when we look at objects is the colour that is reflected by that object - all other colours are absorbed

How fast does light travel?

120 kilometres per hour

3,000 kilometres per hour

3,000 kilometres per second

300,000 kilometres per second

Light travels faster than anything else - huge distances in space are described as 'light years'. Light travels the 150,000,000 kilometres from the Sun to the Earth in about eight minutes - can you imagine how far it could travel in a year?

If you half fill a clear glass with water and place a straw in the glass, how does the straw appear when you look at it carefully?

It appears normal

It seems to change colour

It appears bent or broken

It disappears completely

This interesting effect is caused by the refraction of light in the water

10.

How will a beam of light shining on a glass prism behave?

It will be refracted

It will be completely reflected

It will be completely absorbed

It will not be changed at all, instead being perfectly transmitted

When a beam of light shines on a glass prism, the light is refracted into its different colours, showing a 'rainbow' band of colours on the nearest white surfaces

Author: Sheri Smith