Light and Reflection

Aims

To provide information and resources to support teachers in the following areas:

• the occurrence of a solar eclipse
• the transmission of light
• the law of reflection for light at a plane mirror
• the use of optical fibres in communications

Pupils should be able to:

• explain how an eclipse occurs
• describe how an opaque object forms a shadow
• explain the difference between a luminous object and one that scatters light
• explain how we see an object when reflected light reaches our eyes
• draw a diagram to describe the reflection of a light in a plane mirror
• explain how an optical fibre can be used to communicate over long distances

Key Vocabulary

communications
eclipse
incidence
incident ray
light
luminous
mirror
optical fibre
pulse
reflected ray
reflection
solar