Following our study of light reflection, students experimented with the refraction of light as it travels from air to water. In this experiment, students placed a piece of paper with two arrows drawn in the same direction behind a large glass of water. They observed that one arrow appeared to change direction when viewed through the water. Students loved taking turns holding the paper behind the glass and watching the light bend.

They also observed how a pencil placed in water appears to bend, helping them understand why objects under water can appear to be in a different position than they actually are when viewed from above the surface, such as a fish appearing to be in one location when it is really in another. We also learned important facts about light, including that nothing in the universe travels faster than the speed of light and that light travels in a straight path.

Next, we will explore transparent, translucent, and opaque materials.