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Extra Try at Home Labs
Light Show
Real-World Question
What does light look like when it passes
through different materials?
Possible Materials
• aluminum foil
• clear plastic wrap
• wax paper
• flashlight
Extra Try at Home Labs
Procedure
1. Have a partner hold a 30-cm 30-cm
square of plastic wrap about 30 cm from
a white wall.
2. Darken the room and shine a flashlight
through the plastic wrap. Observe the
amount of light that passes through the
wrap and shines on the wall. Be sure to
keep the flashlight location constant.
3. Hold a 30-cm 30-cm square of aluminum foil in front of the wall, darken
the room, and shine the light on the foil.
Observe what happens to the light.
4. Hold a 30-cm 30-cm square of wax
paper in front of the wall, darken the
room, and shine the light on the paper.
Observe the amount of light that strikes
the wall.
5. Repeat step 4 after folding the wax
paper once, then twice, and then several times.
Conclude and Apply
1. Describe your observations of the light
when you shined it on the different
materials.
2. Identify translucent materials in your
home that are used to partially block
light.
Mirror, Mirror on the Car
Real-World Question
Why are car side-view mirrors convex mirrors?
Possible Materials
• plane mirror
• tennis balls, cans, or other objects (15)
• meterstick
Procedure
1. Measure a distance of 10 m directly
behind your family car. Be certain you
are not walking into traffic. (If you do
not have access to a car, set up chairs
and mirrors to simulate where they are
positioned in a car.)
2. Line up 15 objects behind the car. The
objects should be perpendicular to the
car and about 0.5 m apart. Place the first
object in line with the back bumper and
line up the other objects so that they
extend beyond the rear side view of the
driver.
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STUDENT RESOURCES
(t)Geoff Butler, (b)Amanita Pictures
3. Sit in the driver’s seat, with a parent or
guardian present, and look in the side
view mirror. Count the number
of objects you can see.
4. Sit in the same position and have
a partner place a plane mirror
over the side-view mirror. Count
the number of objects you
can see.
Conclude and Apply
1. Compare the number of objects
you saw in the convex, sideview mirror with the number
of objects you saw in the plane
mirror.
2. Infer why convex mirrors are
used for side view mirrors
on cars.
Adult supervision required for all labs.