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Grade 1 · lesson 2 of 4

Name a Material’s Light Property

Match light observations to transparent, translucent, or opaque.

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Supplied materials

  • Use the supplied fictional observations or model. Paper and pencil are optional; spoken answers are welcome. No equipment or real experiment is needed.

Learn the idea

Transparent describes a material that lets light through so you can see a clear image through it. Translucent describes a material that lets light through but does not let you see a clear image. Opaque describes a material that does not let the tested light pass through. These names describe a property under the conditions of the test.

Use these fictional observations: sample A lets light through and the picture behind it looks clear; sample B lets light through but the picture looks blurry; sample C blocks the light and the picture cannot be seen through it. Do not handle samples. Match each supplied observation to a word, rather than guessing from a material’s color or name.

  1. Make three rows labeled A, B, and C.
  2. Underline the clear-image observation and label it transparent.
  3. Label B translucent and C opaque using the definitions.
  4. Explain how the image observation distinguishes A from B.
Worked example

See the method in action

A is transparent, B is translucent, and C is opaque. A and B both transmit light, but only A gives a clear view in these notes.

Your turn

Check your reasoning

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Which sample is translucent in these notes?

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See the answer and explanation

sample B

B transmits light while making the image blurry. That is the supplied translucent result; C blocks light and A gives a clear image.

Take it further

Change sample B’s note to “light passes and the picture is clear.” Both A and B are now described as transparent; C stays opaque.

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Check the subject sources

These LifeStarter passages, scenarios and exercises are authored for this Academy with AI assistance and review. External resources keep their publishers’ terms. A grade label suggests a starting level; it does not establish alignment with your school’s complete requirements.