Diffraction Grating
Students switch between single-slit diffraction, Young's double slit and a multi-slit grating, adjusting slit width, separation, slit count and wavelength while an…
Home › Interactives › Physics › Rays and Shadows
Physics · Light & Optics
Rays and Shadows, Years 8–9
Students use a ray-based light model to compare sharp and soft shadows, investigate umbra and penumbra, move the Moon through solar and lunar eclipse geometries, and construct a pinhole-camera image from straight-line light paths. The full interactive is available to licensed Education Universe users.
Years 7–9Explorer
Learning outcomes
- Explain shadows using straight-line light rays.
- Distinguish umbra and penumbra.
- Explain solar and lunar eclipses using ray geometry.
Teaching guidance
Ask students to draw the expected shadow before moving the light source.
Use Rays and Shadows with your class
Start a free 30-day trial with class codes and progress tracking, or talk to us about your school's licence.
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Rays and Shadows is one of the licensed interactives in The Education Universe. This page describes it; teachers use it in lessons and classes with a licence or the free trial.