Copy of Minor: Light Test

1. A student is sitting at her desk one day, and notices that the lights in her classroom have a cover over them:. She wonders if these covers affect the light in any way, and decides to plan an investigation to find out if they are transparent or translucent. Which of the choices below is an investigation and will give her accurate results?

• She can do research on the internet to see if the company who builds the covers tells if they are transparent or translucent on their website.
• She can turn off the lights and try to see through the cover, deciding if the objects on the other side look clear or not.
• She can interview the workers who installed the ceiling, asking if they use transparent or translucent covers.
• She can take off one of the covers and shine a light through the cover, looking at the light carefully on both sides.

2. Students observe how light interacts with different materials and record what they see in a data table. Which material would be entered into the empty box on the data table?

• glass
• metal
• a door
• cardboard

3. A student in the cafeteria brings a large clear plastic cup filled with water. The student places a bright pink straw in the water. What observations can the students at the table make about the straw once it touches the water?

• The water bends the straw. Once the student takes the straw out of the water, the straw will still be bent.
• The straw will appear broken because light travels through air differently than water.
• The light from the straw will bounce back to the students’ eyes so it will appear that there is no straw in the water.
• The straw will go in the water and there will be no difference in how light affects the water and air that the straw is in.

4. Four students are planning investigations about how light is affected by different objects. Choose ALL investigations that will cause light to be refracted.

• Student #1 is investigating how light interacts with paper.
• Student #2 is investigating how light interacts with aluminum foil.
• Student #3 is investigating how light interacts with eyeglasses.
• Student #4 is investigating how light interacts with water.

5. A student is planning an investigation to determine why we can see our reflection in some materials and not others. Which of the following investigations can the student perform to see the difference?

• The student should look in mirrors at different angles.
• The student should compare different types of mirrors.
• The student should look into different materials with smooth and rough surfaces.
• The student should look at the same piece of glass during the night and day time.

6. Students can demonstrate reflection by doing which of the following?

• Enlarging an image using a hand lens
• Warming metal under a heat lamp
• Measuring a shadow made by the Sun
• Observing their own image

7. Jonathan wants to build a doghouse for his new puppy. His puppy will be living in the backyard. He uses a flashlight to test the following materials: frosted plastic, wood, and glass. He wants to make sure the material he uses will keep his puppy shaded and cool during the day. Below are his observations from his flashlight test. Which of the following materials should be used to keep his puppy as cool as possible during the day?

• He should use wood because it blocks all light from coming in, and this will keep the doghouse cool.
• He should use a combination of all three materials to allow different amounts of light in to keep the doghouse cool.
• He should use frosted plastic so there is some light that can come in to keep the doghouse cool, but not too cold.
• He should use glass because it allows all light to come in, therefore, there will be no blocked light, so it will remain cool in the doghouse.

8. A student is planning an investigation to answer the following question: How can I use two mirrors to make a beam of light hit a certain target? The picture shows his plan for the investigation. How would you help this student refine/improve his investigation to hit the target?

• The student should increase the size of his target.
• The student should decrease the size of his target.
• The student should change the position of the mirrors.
• The student should use a flashlight instead of a laser pointer.

9. Erika has found a prism in her dad’s office. She takes it outside to play. As she does, sunlight hits the prism. Explain what happens as the sunlight passes through the prism.

• The sunlight stops traveling the moment it reaches the prism since different media make the sunlight stop moving.
• The sunlight bends as soon as it goes through the prism since it is a different media.
• The sunlight continues to go in a straight line through the prism since light travels in straight lines.
• The sunlight is bounced back from the prism back to Erica’s hand since the prism is reflective.

10. A student is planning an investigation to answer this question: How will a mirror reflect light that strikes it at different angles? As she investigates this question, what should she change in each trial to answer this question?

• The type of light
• The type of mirror
• The location of the mirror
• The location of the light she shines at the mirror