​Light Energy

​Light energy is the energy of traveling waves that makes things visible to the eye.

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​Light energy allows us to see things up close, and to see things in different colors.

​Movement of Light

​Light waves move in a straight line and can travel through empty space (vacuum).

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​Light will continue to move in a straight line unless an opaque object gets in the way. Then a shadow is formed.

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​Light can also be transmitted, refracted, reflected and absorbed.

​Transmission

​Transmission happens when light passes through objects.

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You are able to see through materials like glass or clear plastic thanks to transmitted light.

However, the light may be refracted, so that it comes out at a slightly different angle from how it entered.

​Refraction

Refraction happens when light gets bent in transparent materials such as water, air, glass, or a prism.

​Refraction can cause:

• ​Objects to look bent like in water.

• ​Objects to look bigger like through a lens.

• ​A rainbow to appear when light gets broken into its 7 colors.

Reflection

​Reflection happens when light bounces off an object and moves in another direction.

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​The light will still travel in a straight line, but just in a different direction.

Light reflects from a smooth surface at the same angle as it hits the surface.

Absorption

Absorption happens when an object soaks up some of the light waves.

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​When a material absorbs light, the energy from that light is transformed into heat.

Dark materials absorb more heat than light materials.

​Transparent- allows light to pass or transmit through it so objects can be seen clearly.

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​Translucent- allows some light to pass but objects don't have a detailed shape.

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​Opaque- no light passes through it, the light is absorbed.

​​What can Light pass through?