The Science of Light Waves

The Science of Light Waves — page 1 — LIGHT OF DAY The Sun shines through your window with the first light of day You stumble out of bed and reach for the light switch At school you stare at a bright computer screen and hope for a bright idea Later your video game flashes with colorful lights while your desk lamp beams down on the homework you should be doing Tiny fireflies and tall streetlights glow in the night sky You turn out the lights and crawl into bed Good night light WHAT IS LIGHT Light is the brightness that lets you see the world around you It shines in many different ways and comes from many different sources A light source is something that gives off light The Sun is a natural source of light There are other light sources that people make Some lights are bright and others are

The Science of Light Waves — page 2 — WE NEED LIGHT We need light to see the world around us and do many of the things we want or need to do Light helps us communicate and send messages to others To communicate means to share information For example drivers use lights on their cars to signal to other drivers that they are turning or stopping Light also helps us move safely from place to place Colored traffic lights tell us when to stop and go Flashlights take us down dark paths and streetlights guide us home WHAT DO YOU THINK so Think of all the lights you use each day How do they help you see communicate and move safely e

The Science of Light Waves — page 3 — LICHT IS ENERGY Light is a form of energy that you can see Energy is the power to do work There are many other forms of energy such as sound and heat which I you cannot see The Sun is the main source of light energy on Earth It lights up and warms the entire planet Without the Sun there would be no light on Earth The entire planet would be dark and cold No living things could survive LIGHT and DARK Some objects produce their own light The Sun fire and other very hot objects produce light when they burn or glow Objects such as lamps flashlights computers and smartphones are also light sources Other objects do not produce their own light Socks umbrellas skateboards and 1 puppies are some things that do not make their own light Ice cream sundaes sunflowers and sundresses are not light sources either Do not let their sunny names fool

The Science of Light Waves — page 4 — BRIGHT ANIMALS Some animals are so bright they can make their own light Fireflies glowworms jellyfish and other animals have special organs inside their bodies that allow them to produce light The ability of animals to make their own light is called bioluminescence Making light helps these animals communicate and attract mates It also helps them find prey to eat and to escape from hungry predators Some sea creatures rely on bioluminescence to survive They live deep in the ocean where sunlight does not reach

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