How Does Light Interact with Materials?
The terms below are all defined in the paragraph. Read the paragraph and use the
information in it to show that you have understood the meaning of each term.

light energy, transmit, natural light, reflect, artificial light, absorb, transform, transparent

When we see an object, it is because light bounces off that object and goes back to
our eyes. Light energy is the form of energy that enables us to see things. Light energy is
like sound energy and some other forms of energy that travel in waves, but it is the only form
of energy that we can see. Natural light is produced by the sun, other stars, and chemical
reactions such as fires. Artificial light is produced by human technology such as light bulbs.
What happens to light when it hits something depends on the material - the type of
matter - that it is made of. Clear or transparent materials transmit light, meaning that light
goes through them. An example of something that transmits light is a window. Shiny and
light-colored materials reflect light, meaning light hits them and then bounces off the way a
ball bounces off a floor. Two examples of things that reflect light are mirrors and light-colored
clothes. Dark-colored materials absorb or “take in” light and transform or change the
light energy into heat (thermal) energy. An example of something that absorbs light is a black
road, which can get very hot on a sunny day.
Most materials do all three things - reflect some light, transmit some light, and absorb
some light. If you were to wear a shirt with black and white stripes, the black areas would
absorb a lot of light, while the light areas would reflect light. When you wear a blue shirt,
blue light is reflected, while all other colors are absorbed. The reason we see color is because
the color we see bounces off an object and goes to our eyes! Lastly, have you ever had
curtains that allowed some light to get into your house? Those curtains reflected some light,
absorbed some light, and transmitted some light!

Light energy is different from other forms of energy because

Group of answer choices

it is the only form of energy we can see

it travels in waves

light energy can NOT be transformed into any other type of energy

No answer text provided.