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How does rectilinear propogation of light lead to the formation of shadows?

Dear student,

Shadows are formed when something(opaque) comes into the way of light which always travel in straight line (rectilinear propagation). A person's shadow is formed when it comes into the path of the light.

Shadow is the part of the object through which light cannot pass, and therefore it appears dark. The light passes through the edges of the object thus forming a perfect duplicate of the object.
 
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Shadow

Shadow is a dark region formed behind an opaque object when it is placed in the path of light. A shadow is formed only when a light source, an opaque object and a screen are present.

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Example

During a lunar eclipse, we see a part of the earth’s shadow on the surface of the moon. This happens when the earth, the sun and the moon are in a straight line, with the earth between the sun and the moon. Here, the sun acts as the light source, the earth as the opaque object, and the moon as the screen. Shadows are formed due the rectilinear propagation of light.

The size and shape of the shadow depends on the position and orientation of the opaque object between the source of light and the screen. 
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