Imagine you're holding a toy dinosaur under a lamp. If the lamp is close, your shadow looks sharp and clear, like it's standing right there on the floor. But if the lamp is far away, your shadow might look blurry or even stretched out, like it’s melting into the floor. That happens because of how light travels from the source to the object and then to where you see the shadow.
Examples
- A small lamp casts a clear shadow on a wall, but a big lamp makes it look hazy.
- Your shadow under the sun is crisp, but at night it gets softer and bigger from the streetlight.
- A toy car’s shadow on a floor looks very defined when close to a table lamp.
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See also
- Why Does Time Seem to Fly When You're Having Fun?
- What Causes the Sky to Change Colors at Sunset?
- What Causes the Northern Lights?
- What Causes a ‘Golden’ Sunset or Sunrise?
- How Does a Mirror Work Exactly?
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Categories: Physics · light,shadow,optics