Use a swimming noodle to demonstrate that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object.
Hold a flashlight at one end of a swimming noodle.
Ask a helper to to point the other end of the noodle.
Does the light come out the other end of the noodle?
If not, straighten the noodle.
Light travels in a straight line. If the noodle is bent, the light hits the side of the noodle at the bend and stops.
Q. What happens to light when it hits an object?
A. Light is a form of energy. Visual light is a type of light energy that people can see. When the visible light from the flashlight strikes an object, the light energy can be absorbed, reflected, or pass through (if the object is transparent or translucent).
When absorbed, the light energy changes and is no longer visible. Instead, the new form of light energy is called infrared light energy, which is not visible but it does cause objects to heat up.
