Light and Reflection

Lab Brief #5

🎯 Your mission

Understand the idea. Then look for it everywhere.

⚡ The twist

Speed isn't the same as force. Don't mix them up.

What you'll learn

Light travels in straight lines until it hits a surface and bounces off, which is called reflection. A smooth mirror reflects light evenly so you see a clear image, while a rough surface scatters the light in many directions.

Key words

direction
The way something moves or points, like up, down, or left.

Make a hypothesis first

Guess: where does the energy go?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Build a simple circuit using a battery, wire, and light bulb. Then add a switch and test what happens when you open and close it.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Draw a detailed diagram of what you observe.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a conclusion: what did your results show? Did they match your prediction?

Question 1 of 3

What does friction do?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 3

What is needed for a simple electric circuit?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 3 of 3

What form of energy does food contain?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🔥 A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 3 right.

Next: Magnetic Force Works at a Distance All lessons

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

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