light travelling in straight lines experiment

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How to Prove That Light Travels in a Straight Path

Last Updated: April 24, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Chris Hasegawa, PhD . Dr. Chris Hasegawa was a Science Professor and the Dean at California State University Monterey Bay. Dr. Hasegawa specializes in teaching complex scientific concepts to students. He holds a BS in Biochemistry, a Master’s in Education, and his teaching credential from The University of California, Davis. He earned his PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from The University of Oregon. Before becoming a professor, Dr. Hasegawa conducted biochemical research in Neuropharmacology at the National Institute of Health. He also taught physical and life sciences and served as a teacher and administrator at public schools in California, Oregon, and Arizona. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 214,796 times.

Light is an essential part of your day. It allows you to see objects, shapes, and colors. In fact, the pupils in your eyes filter in light to help you see everything around you. As part of a school assignment, you may be asked to prove that light travels in a straight line. You can do this using basic household items in three easy experiments.

Making a Light Pinhole

• Three index cards.
• A piece of modeling clay or sticky tack. You can also use double sided tape.

• A hole puncher.

• Take the hole puncher and punch a hole at the center of the card where the two lines intersect. Do this for the other two cards.

• Form a stand for the cards using the clay so the cards are straight and upright. Use the ruler to ensure the cards are two to five inches from each other.
• You can also use double sided tape to attach the cards to a surface in a vertical position. Do not cover or obstruct the hole in the center of the cards with modeling clay or tape.

• Note that the light can be seen through all the holes. You should be able to see the light go through all the holes and land on a wall or surface beyond the last index card.

Using a Mirror and a Flashlight

• Two to three sheets of black paper.
• Small objects like buttons, bottle caps, or dimes.

• The other person will use the small mirror to reflect the flashlight so it hits the objects. Move close to the light, at an angle, to catch the light so it hits the objects.
• You may need to position more than one mirror to create a light path that shines on the objects. Play around with reflecting the light on the mirrors until the light hits the objects. You can also move the objects around the room to create a more complicated light path, using the flashlight as the light source.
• This experiment shows that light travels in a straight line in the air. But it also bounces off of a reflective surface, like a mirror. The angle of the light as it bounces off the mirror will be the same as the angle of the light as it hits the mirror. The mirror reflects the light and changes its path from a straight line to an angled straight line.

Using Water and Oil

• A large glass jar.
• Access to water.
• One cup of oil.

• Make sure the jar is large enough to fit the ruler.

• Note that the numbers appear stretched or magnified as the light rays bend in the oil and the water. Move the ruler from side to side to note the different appearances of the ruler numbers in the oil and in the water.
• This will show that light travels at different speeds in different mediums, such as air, oil, and water. It will travel in a straight line in the air, but it will bend when it changes speed due to contact with a certain medium, like oil or water.

Expert Q&A

Things You'll Need

• A piece of modeling clay or sticky tack. You can also use tape.
• A flashlight or a laser pointer.
• A flashlight.
• A small mirror.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.ducksters.com/science/experiment_light_travel.php
• ↑ Chris Hasegawa, PhD. Retired Science Professor & Dean. Expert Interview. 29 July 2021.
• ↑ https://www.science-sparks.com/science-fair-projects-light-maze/
• ↑ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/now-you-see-it-testing-out-light-refraction/

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• 3 index cards
• small piece of modeling clay or sticky tack
• hole puncher
• science journal
• For each index card, use a ruler to draw lines connecting opposite corners of the card.
• At the intersection of the two lines, use a hole puncher to punch a hole in the center of the index cards.
• For each card, use a small piece of modeling clay and place the card into the clay to create a "stand" for the card. Place the cards so that they stand vertically and at an equal distance from each other. See Diagram.
• Place the flashlight at one end of the row of index cards and turn off the light in the room.
• Arrange the index cards so that light can be seen through all the holes.
• Observe and record your observations.
• How can light be seen through all the index cards?
• What does the experiment prove about the path light travels?
• What would happen if the holes were smaller?

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• Light Travels in Straight Line

An Introduction

Light is one form of energy that plays a vital role in our life. We cannot imagine a world full of darkness. Light makes our vision possible and enhances the beauty of everything around us. Light is playing an important role in both art and science. Light is one of the important tools in science that helps scientists to observe things around the world.

Some theories of science are saying it is particles and some of them are saying light is a wave . If the light is a wave, how does light travel and what is the medium of propagation? Light travels in a straight line. The straight-line path of light is very much evident when light travels through a dusty atmosphere. In this article, we will be discussing the straight line motion of light.

How does Light Travel?

Light can travel through both in a medium and in a vacuum . But in a vacuum, there will not be any particles light can not reflect by hitting it. Hence, in a vacuum, light is invisible. In air, light can be reflected by hitting dust or some other particles, hence light is visible in the air.

Light can be considered as waves. Light waves travel in different wavelengths and depending on the wavelength, different light has different colours. For example, the high wavelength light in visible light has a red colour and the shortest wavelength of light has a violet colour. Being a wave light can show properties of waves such as interference and diffraction .

The answer to the question of how light normally travels is that light travels in a straight line. But the actual answer is light seems to travel in a straight line because of the smaller diffraction effect of light. Diffraction is the bending of waves around an object such that it spreads out and illuminates an area where a shadow is expected.

For light, the wavelength is in the order of nanometers. This wavelength is too small and obstacles of this size cannot be determined by our naked eyes. Hence, we feel that light travels along a straight line. The straight-line motion of light is also called rectilinear propagation of light .

Experiment for the Straight Line Motion of Light

Since the diffraction effect of light is too small, normally light travels along a straight line. By using a simple experimental setup, we can prove that light travels along a straight line.

Place three cardboard sheets back to back in front of a candle on the tabletop. Make sure that the cardboard sheets and the candles are placed in a straight line. Light the candle and make a pinhole on each cardboard sheet. The holes should be made at equal height such that the flame of the candle is visible through them. Now look through the holes and observe light travels in which line. The light flame will be visible along the straight line of holes. Now move one of the cardboard sheets to either side and observe the flame. Can you see the flame? On moving the cardboard sheet, the flame will not be visible. Now, again place the cardboard sheet back in its position. The flame is visible now.

From this experiment, we can conclude that light travels along a straight line and this experiment diagram is given below.

Examples of Straight Line Motion of Light

Light travels in straight line examples are as follows:.

Light comes out from a torch or train or lamp follows a straight line path.

A straight line path of light is visible when Sunlight comes out through the small holes in a dusty atmosphere.

When we place any opaque object in front of the object, we observe that the object will be invisible. It is because light cannot bend through the corners of the opaque object.

Interesting Facts

Sunlight can reach a depth of 80m in the ocean.

Paul Dirac proposed a theory in explaining the dual nature of light in 1927.

Particles of light are called photons.

The scientist Euclid Catoptrics in 280 BC found light travels in straight-line inhomogeneous media.

Key Features

Light travels along a straight line.

The straight-line motion of light is due to its small diffraction effects.

Light comes out from the train, torch, and lamp are examples of straight line motion of light.

FAQs on Light Travels in Straight Line

1. What is rectilinear propagation of light?

Light travels along a straight line. The straight-line motion of light is called rectilinear propagation of light.

2. Explain why light travels in a straight line?

Light is a wave exhibiting the property of diffraction. The phenomenon of diffraction is observed only if the wavelength of the wave matches the size of the particle it collides with. Light has wavelengths in the order of nanometers. Usually, an object of nanometer size can not be seen by the naked eye. Hence, the diffraction effect of light is too small to be considered. So, light appears to travel along a straight line.

3. Why is light invisible in a vacuum?

Light can travel through a vacuum. Since in a vacuum there are no particles, light can not reflect. Hence, light is invisible in a vacuum.

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Year 6: Light

This list consists of lesson plans, activities and video clips to support the teaching of light in year six. It contains tips on using the resources, suggestions for further use and background subject knowledge. Possible misconceptions are highlighted, so that teachers may plan lessons to facilitate correct conceptual understanding. Designed to support the new curriculum programme of study it aims to cover many of the requirements for knowledge and understanding and working scientifically. The statutory requirements are that children are taught to:

· recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines · use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye · explain that we see things because light travels from light sources to our eyes or from   light sources to objects and then to our eyes · use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them.

Visit the primary science webpage to access all lists.  

Modelling Light

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Teachers TV

This video is a way of helping children understand that light travels in a straight line from a light source, reflects off an object, a mirror and then into the eye. This is modelled using a torch, teddy, mirror and ribbon to represent the light. The teacher discusses how modelling can address misconceptions and help children access an abstract concept. Working in groups children could then build their own model and draw what is happening on a large sheet of paper.

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Institute of Physics

Contains a presentation which shows different sources of light, an activity which explores how we need light to see, sources of light, how we see objects, reflection of light and the composition of white light. The presentation is interspersed with class experiments, games and activities. The teachers' notes deal with the common misconceptions around light and show how the presentation and activities help address them.

Light: crime lab investigation

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Hamilton Trust

Session B helps children develop their understanding that light travels in straight lines and can be blocked by opaque objects. Allow children to design a test to see if different materials block light and produce shadows and if the resulting shadows differ depending on the material used. Include some translucent and transparent materials and note observations. A shadow is usually black because it is an absence of light however a coloured filter may change the shadow e.g. a red filter will let red light pass through it to produce a red shadow as the other colours of the spectrum are absorbed.

Making Shadows

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Royal Observatory Greenwich

This activity looks at how shadows are formed and what affects their size, direction and shape. Ask children to place an object at the centre of a sheet of paper, and use a torch to produce shadows of different length and direction. This activity demonstrates that light appears to travel in straight lines and that it is blocked by an opaque object. Children could change one factor and see what happens to the resulting shadows, e.g. the distance of the object from light source, distance of object from screen, and the angle at which the light source shines on object.

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Centre for Science Education

A periscope is a device that enables us to see over walls or round corners. This is because rays of light hit the mirror of the periscope and are reflected twice. The beam of light is reflected through 90 degrees, because the mirrors are at 45 degrees to the path of the light ray.

This template and instructions can be used to create periscopes. Children may then explore how they work and explain this.

Some children may enjoy the challenge of designing their own periscopes.

What factors affect the size of a shadow in a shadow theatre?

Quality Assured Category: Careers Publisher: Royal Society

This resource provides a set of videos and a practical investigation aimed at supporting working scientifically in the classroom and relating science to real world experiences. In the first video Professor Brian Cox joins a teacher to find out how to set up and run an investigation to find out what affects the size of a shadow. Children use their own shadow puppets to investigate how the shadow size changes as they change the distance between light source and screen. Further videos show Brian Cox finding out more about how shadows are used in X-rays and talking about how eclipses occur.

The magic of light

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: European Space Agency (ESA)

Make your own spectroscopes and colour wheel to study the properties of light.

Year 6 - Starters for Science* Suitable for Home Learning*

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: STEM Learning

Starters for science provides the key learning, key vocabulary and 4 easy to run activities for each topic in Y6. These sheets may be sent home, so children can carry on learning science whilst self-isolating, or they can be used in class. There are further sheets for other year groups  here.

How do we see things? Understanding light

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: The Bell Foundation

This resource covers the parts of the eye and their function in enabling people to see objects. They are designed for teachers working with pupils who are new to English. The resources include a set of flashcards covering the key words and a series of worksheets including an eye diagram to label and differentiated dictogloss activities which help pupils develop their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.

Light Travels Along a Straight Line

Introduction.

One type of energy that is essential to our existence is light. We are unable to envision a world without light. Light improves the beauty of everything around us and allows us to see. In both science and art, light is a crucial element. One of the crucial scientific instruments that enable scientists to examine things all across the world is light.

Some scientific theories claim that it is made up of particles, while others assert that it is made up of waves. What is the medium of propagation if the light is a wave? How does light move? We shall find answers to some of these questions in this article.

How does Light Travel?

Light can pass through a medium and in a vacuum. However, there won’t be any particles in a vacuum that light can’t reflect off of. Therefore, light is invisible in a vacuum. Light can reflect in the air when it strikes dust or other particles, making light visible in the atmosphere. Light may be thought of as having waves. Different light waves have varied wavelengths, and different light has different colours based on the wavelength. For instance, the shortest wavelength of light has a violet colour, whereas the highest wavelength of visible light has a red colour. Light, being a wave, may exhibit wave characteristics like diffraction and interference.

The answer to the question of how light typically moves is that it moves straightforwardly. However, the truth is that light’s smaller diffraction effect is the reason it appears to move in a straight line. The spreading out and the illumination of an area where a shadow is anticipated is known as diffraction, which is the bending of waves around an object. The wavelength of light is on the order of nanometers. We cannot see impediments of this size with our unaided eyes because the wavelength is too narrow. As a result, we see that light moves in a straight path. Rectilinear propagation of light is another name for the way that light moves in a straight line.

Want to get an “A” on your Science exams? Let our expert teachers be your guide toward improving your grades and reaching your highest potential. Study  Science tuition  for classes 6th, 7th, and 8th.

Experiment with the Straight Line Motion of Light

Normal light travels in a straight line because there isn’t enough diffraction to cause any noticeable effects. We demonstrate that light moves in a straight line using a basic experimental setup. In front of a candle on the tabletop, arrange three cardboard sheets back to back. Ensure that the candles and cardboard sheets are arranged in a straight line. On each cardboard sheet, poke a pinhole after lighting the candle. To allow for the visibility of the candle’s flame, the holes must be made at equal heights. Now, observe which line light travels in by looking through the holes. Along the slender line of holes, the thin flame will be visible. Now move one of the cardboard sheets to either side and observe the flame. Can you see the flame? The flame won’t be seen when you move the cardboard sheet. Reposition the cardboard sheet in its original location. The flame may now be seen. The experiment diagram is shown below. From this experiment, we may infer that light moves in a straight line.

Examples of Straight-Line Motion of Light

• When a lamp, torch, or another source of light emits light, it travels in a straight line.
• When sunlight enters a dusty environment through tiny holes, a straight-line trail of light is apparent.
• The object will become invisible when an opaque object is placed in front of it. The reason for this is that an opaque object prevents light from bending through its corners.

The light rays move in a straight line. The minimized diffraction effects of light facilitate the propagation of the light in a straight path. Examples, where the light rays travel in a straight line, are the light ray that comes from a train, a torch, and/or a lamp.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. what is rectilinear propagation of light.

Ans: The motion of the light rays in a straight line is termed the rectilinear propagation of the light.

2. Explain why Light Travels in a Straight Line?

Ans: Diffraction is a wave characteristic of light. Only when the wavelength of the light wave is of the order of the dimension of the size of the particle it collides with, and the phenomena of diffraction take place. The wavelengths of light are on the order of nanometers. Typically, a nanometer-sized item is invisible to the human eye. Light’s diffraction impact is therefore too modest to be taken into account and travels in a straight-line path.

3. Why is Light Invisible in a Vacuum?

Ans: Light can travel through the vacuum, however, since there are no particles available in the vacuum, light cannot reflect in a vacuum and therefore light is invisible in a vacuum.

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Primary Science Resources for the National Curriculum

Year 6 light.

• Outstanding Science Year 6

Knowledge and Understanding

Statutory requirements, notes and guidance, upper ks2 - working scientifically, light year 6.

Pupils explain how we see by creating labelled diagrams. They identify the parts of the human eye and explain their function on an information poster. Pupils consider how mirrors can be used to change the path of light in a predictable way. Using protractors, they discuss where rear-view mirrors should be placed on scale diagrams. They apply their knowledge by building a periscope and explaining its function. Pupils investigate the relationship between the position of an object and the size of its shadow, displaying their findings on a line graph. Using scale diagrams, they predict and calculate the size of shadow cast by different objects. They demonstrate that white light is composed of a spectrum using prisms and colour spinners.

Objects and their shadows Worksheet Free!

Outstanding science year 6 | light | os6d008.

• National Curriculum

Learning objective

I can explain how the shape and size of a shadow are determined.

Children use a ruler to draw the shape of a shadow cast by an object on a simple plan diagram. They predict and then measure the width of each shadow, and try to find what kind of set-up produces the widest shadows.

• 6d4 : use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them.

Making a periscope Investigation

Outstanding science year 6 | light | os6d001.

I can make a periscope and explain how it works.

Children learn that a periscope is a device made from 2 angled mirrors that enables the user to see around obstacles. Using the template provided, along with 2 small mirrors, children construct their own simple periscope. They attempt to explain how it works.

• 6d1 : recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines

Positioning a rear-view mirror Worksheet

Outstanding science year 6 | light | os6d002.

I can calculate the best position for a rear-view mirror.

Children learn that light rays travel in straight lines, and that mirrors can make light reflect at precise angles, depending on their own position and angle. Children look at 4 simple diagrams. They predict, and then calculate (using a ruler and protractor) the best position for a mirror, so that the viewer (a car driver) can see an object (a motorcycle headlamp). They look for patterns between different distances and angles in their diagrams.

The human eye Worksheet

Outstanding science year 6 | light | os6d003.

I can label the main parts of the human eye and explain their functions.

Children learn about the main parts of the human eye, including the cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina and optic nerve. They use this information to create and label their own diagram of a human eye, cutting and pasting the descriptions provided or writing their own.

• 6d2 : use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye

Reflecting light Worksheet

Outstanding science year 6 | light | os6d004.

I can use my knowledge of reflection to place mirrors to make light follow a path.

Children learn that light travels in straight lines and can be made to follow a path by placing mirrors in its path. Children use a simple grid and position mirrors at 45° angles to make light travel through a maze. They solve 12 increasingly difficult problems, and use a blank sheet to create their own.

How we see things Worksheet

Outstanding science year 6 | light | os6d005.

I can explain how we see light sources and non-light sources.

Children learn that we see light sources because they create light which travels in a straight line into our eyes. They learn that we can see non-light sources because light from light sources reflects (bounces) off them into our eyes. Children use a selection of images to build their own diagram showing how we see light sources and non-light sources.

• 6d3 : explain that we see things because light travels from light sources to our eyes or from light sources to objects and then to our eyes

The light spectrum Investigation

Outstanding science year 6 | light | os6d006.

I can explain how white light is made up of a spectrum of different colours.

Children learn that white light is a combination of different colours, and that these colours exist on the visible light spectrum. They learn how white light can be split up into its component colours. Children use a prism and a light source to create a rainbow effect and discuss how it is caused. They learn that a range of colours can be combined into white light. Children create a spinner, which they spin using either string or a pencil, to demonstrate this.

Investigating shadows Investigation

Outstanding science year 6 | light | os6d007.

I can explain how moving an object changes the size of its shadow.

Children learn that shadows are formed when light is blocked by an opaque object, creating a pattern of light on a surface. Children investigate what happens to its shadow when an object is moved towards a light source. They predict and then measure the width of an object's shadow at different distances from the light source. Children record their information in a table and use it to create a line graph. They attempt to explain the relationship between distance and shadow width.

Get instant access to all of our Year 6 resources.

Outstanding science - year 6 contains all of the following units:.

Unit 6A - Living Things And Their Habitats

Unit 6B - Animals, Including Humans

Unit 6C - Evolution And Inheritance

Unit 6D - Light

Unit 6E - Electricity

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• Light Travels In a Straight Line

Light travels in a straight line can be observed by keeping an object in the path of light. In an atmosphere which is bit dusty, we can see light traveling in a straight line. Light emerging from the torch, train and lamps always travel in a straight line. Let us study in detail how does light travel in a straight line.

Suggested Videos

Light travels along a straight line.

Life without light would have been pretty dull. Light travels at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. You must have observed that in your house that whenever a beam of light enters a dark room through a tiny hole in the window, the lightwave always travels in a straight line.

Let us carry out a small activity to show that lightwave travels along a straight line. Take three CD’s and align them together. Align them in such a way that all the CD’s line in a straight line. Now take a candle and place it at the other end. Do make sure that the tip of the candle and the holes of the CD’s all lie in the straight line. Ensure that the height of the CD’s and the tip of the candle are same. Observe the flame of the candle. We are able to see the flame of the candle because the light wave travels through the holes and reaches our eye.

Browse more Topics under Light

• Reflection of Light
• Sunlight – White or Coloured
• Images Formed By Lenses

Now if suppose we displace the center of the CD’s we observe that we are not able to see the flame of the candle. Why does that happen? This is because the light gets blocked. If the light could have the ability to take a curve and travel, we could have seen the lightwave. But since light travels in a straight line, we were unable to see the flame of the candle when the CD is displaced. This proves that light travels along a straight line.

(Source: Wikipedia)

In the above picture, we can clearly see that light coming through the holes in the window travel along a straight line.

Questions For You

Q1. The phenomenon in which the moon’s shadow falls on earth,  or the earth casts its shadow on the moon, is known as

• Lateral deviation

Answer: C. The phenomenon in which the moon’s shadow falls on earth or the earth casts its shadow on the moon is known as an eclipse. During a solar eclipse, moon’s shadow falls on the earth. During a lunar eclipse, earth’s shadow falls on the moon.

Q2. Two examples of non-luminous objects are

• Stars and Moon
• Burning candle, glowing bulb
• The moon, a spoon
• Stars, a spoon

Answer: C. Non-luminous objects are those that do not emit light. The moon and the spoon do not emit light. So these two are good examples of non-luminous objects.

Q3. We can see the objects only when

• Reflected light from the object reaches our eye.
• The objects absorb all the light.
• When the objects allow all the light to pass through them.
• None of these.

Answer: A. Objects can only be seen when light falls on the object and are reflected back to our eyes.

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Light Travels in Straight Lines — Experiments (Year 6)

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Help children to learn about how light travels with this worksheet. It includes two different experiments that demonstrate how light travels in a straight lines, even when reflected. Detailed instructions and diagrams are provided.

• Key Stage: Key Stage 2
• Subject: Science
• Topic: Light
• Topic Group: Physical Processes
• Year(s): Year 6
• Media Type: PDF
• Resource Type: Activities & Games
• Last Updated: 25/10/2023
• Resource Code: S2WAC1725
• Curriculum Point(s): Recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines.

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Shadow Sizes and Light Sources (Year 6)

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Light travels in straight lines

A KS2 PowerPoint of experiment ideas for teaching the concept that light travels in straight lines and can be reflected using mirrors.

An engaging science resource to enhance a unit of work on light.

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