Huddleston’s and Murphy’s 2nd Grade class Birthday Candles(light Investigation)

Question:How far does light travel?

We want to know how far the light from a candle’s flame will travel.

Hypothesis

We think the light from the flame stays on the candle.

Materials needed

Candle

Match

Fire extinguisher (just in case)

Procedure

Get candle Let teacher light candle Observe from desk Observe from one meter away Observe from across the room

Observe from desk.

Observe from one meter away.

Observe from across the room.

Variables

Manipulated: We changed the location of viewing the candle.

Controlled: Everything Else Same candle, same room/location

Conclusion: What did you learn?

We learned that the light does not stay on the candle. The light travels all the way to your eye.

If something is between the candle and your eye, the light will not travel to your eye.

The flame stays on the candle. The heat stays near the candle

Bibliography

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science 25 Assessment Probes by Keeley, Eberle and Farrin

Seamless Assessment in Science by Abell and Volkmann