Shadows: How They Form and Change Through the Day Worksheet

Question 1

What two things are needed to make a shadow?

Accepted Answer

A shadow forms when light shines on an object and the object blocks some of the light.

Question 2

Mia stands outside on a sunny day. Her body blocks the sunlight. What forms on the ground?

Accepted Answer

A shadow forms on the ground because Mia blocks some of the sunlight.

Question 3

True or false: A clear glass window usually makes a dark shadow because all light is blocked. Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

False. A clear glass window lets most light pass through, so it does not usually make a dark shadow.

Question 4

Look at a tree in the morning. The Sun is low in the sky. Will the tree's shadow usually be long or short?

Accepted Answer

The tree's shadow will usually be long because the Sun is low in the sky in the morning.

Question 5

At about noon, the Sun is high in the sky. How is a person's shadow usually different from the morning shadow?

Accepted Answer

At about noon, a person's shadow is usually shorter because the Sun is higher in the sky.

Question 6

In the late afternoon, the Sun is low again. What usually happens to shadows?

Accepted Answer

In the late afternoon, shadows usually become long again because the Sun is low in the sky.

Question 7

A ball is placed between a lamp and a wall. Where will the ball's shadow appear?

Accepted Answer

The ball's shadow will appear on the wall on the side away from the lamp.

Question 8

Draw or describe where the shadow would be if the Sun is shining from the left side of a toy car.

Accepted Answer

The shadow would be on the right side of the toy car because shadows form on the side away from the light.

Question 9

Why can shadows change direction during the day?

Accepted Answer

Shadows can change direction because the Sun appears to move across the sky during the day.

Question 10

Sam sees his shadow on the ground. He walks closer to a streetlight at night. How might his shadow change?

Accepted Answer

His shadow might change size and position because he is moving closer to the light source.

Question 11

Which object will make a clearer shadow: a solid book or a clear plastic bag? Explain why.

Accepted Answer

A solid book will make a clearer shadow because it blocks more light than a clear plastic bag.

Question 12

A class measures a flagpole shadow at three times: morning, noon, and afternoon. When will the shadow probably be shortest?

Accepted Answer

The shadow will probably be shortest at noon because the Sun is highest in the sky then.

Question 13

Label the light source, the object, and the shadow in this scene: a flashlight shines on a cup and a dark shape appears behind the cup.

Accepted Answer

The flashlight is the light source, the cup is the object, and the dark shape behind the cup is the shadow.

Question 14

Why do you not see a strong shadow outside on a very cloudy day?

Accepted Answer

You do not see a strong shadow because clouds spread out or block much of the sunlight, so the light is not as bright and direct.

Question 15

Put these times in order from shortest shadow to longest shadow: noon, early morning, late afternoon.

Accepted Answer

The order is noon, early morning, and late afternoon. Noon usually has the shortest shadow, while early morning and late afternoon usually have long shadows.

Shadows: How They Form and Change Through the Day

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