Dark and faint shadows

The idea

Opaque objects form darker shadows, translucent objects make lighter shadows, and even some transparent objects can create faint shadows.

Do all things make shadows?

Imagine holding a cardboard sheet, butter paper and clear glass in front of a lamp, with a wall behind.

Which one will make the darkest shadow on the wall?

• Cardboard
• Butter paper
• Clear glass

Look at each shadow

Pick a sheet and look at its shadow on the wall.

Darker, lighter, faint

The darkest shadow came from the opaque cardboard. Butter paper made a lighter shadow. Clear glass made only a faint one.

Opaque objects form darker shadows, translucent objects make lighter shadows, and even some transparent objects can create faint shadows.

• Material | Its shadow
• Opaque | Darker
• Translucent | Lighter
• Transparent | Faint

Notes

Opaque objects form darker shadows, translucent objects make lighter shadows, and even some transparent objects can create faint shadows.

Check yourself

Opaque objects form …

Butter paper is translucent. Its shadow is …

Can a transparent object make a shadow?

Which sheet makes the darkest shadow?

• no shadows. Opaque objects form the darkest shadows.
• lighter shadows. Lighter shadows come from translucent objects.
• darker shadows — correct. Yes! They block the light the most.
• lighter — correct. Yes! It lets some light pass, so the shadow is lighter.
• as dark as cardboard’s shadow. Cardboard is opaque and blocks all the light. Butter paper’s shadow is lighter.
• darker than cardboard’s shadow. Cardboard is opaque and makes the darkest shadow.
• Yes, as dark as cardboard. Transparent objects make at most a faint shadow.
• Yes, some make a faint shadow — correct. Yes! The shadow is faint.
• No, never. Even some transparent objects can create faint shadows.
• Butter paper. Butter paper is translucent, so its shadow is lighter.
• Clear glass. Clear glass is transparent, so its shadow is faint.
• Cardboard — correct. Yes! It is opaque.