Lesson 1 of 6 · Engineering and Design
Lesson⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopReflection, Refraction, and Absorption
Engineering and Design.
🎯 Your mission
Understand the idea. Then look for it everywhere.
⚡ The twist
Every solution creates a new problem. That's good — that's the next project.
Mind = Blown
🚀 The Saturn V rocket burned 20 tons of fuel per second at liftoff.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: which design will hold the most weight?
What You'll Learn
Light travels in straight lines and can be reflected, refracted, or absorbed. Mirrors reflect light, lenses refract (bend) light, and dark surfaces absorb light.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
Conduct a design challenge: build a car powered only by a balloon. Measure how far it travels and iterate on your design at least twice.
Observe what happens and describe it in detail.
Record your observations in your science journal with measurements and descriptions.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3How does light travel?
Where you see this in real life
Your phone, your bike, your shoes — all designed with this idea.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Build something — anything — out of stuff in your recycling bin.
For the dinner table
“What's something around the house you'd redesign — and how?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Ready?
Reflection, Refraction, and Absorption
Understand the idea. Then look for it everywhere.
Full screen — no distractions
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