Murray’s Shadow

Murray and Arnold draw around a wooden garden post’s shadow with chalk. Dad suggests coming back after their snack. Will the dark shape still fit inside the outline?

When they return, the shadow has moved beyond the chalk line. Arnold checks whether someone has shifted the post. Its base is still in the same place.

Murray wonders whether the outline washed away. But the patio is dry. Dad asks them to look at the post and sunlight before choosing an explanation.

They draw a second outline without rubbing out the first. Both shapes start at the same post. Their far ends reach different places across the paving.

Dad explains that the sun appears in different places as the day passes. The post stays still. The direction of the light changes, so its shadow falls in a new place.

After another game, the boys find a third position for the shadow. They add one more chalk outline and keep all three visible. They can compare what happened over time.

Arnold shows Mum the lines when she brings their drinks. Murray points to the fixed post. He explains that a moving shadow does not always mean the object moved.

Before leaving the patio, they make a small drawing of their experiment in a notebook. “Our garden changed while the post stayed still,” says Murray, looking at the long afternoon shadow.