Why do shadows change throughout the day?

Shadows change throughout the day primarily due to the position of the sun in the sky. As the sun rises in the east, it casts long shadows that gradually shorten as it reaches its highest point around noon. This variation in shadow length and direction occurs because the angle at which sunlight hits an object changes throughout the day.

When light is direct, shadows are shorter, and when the light source is at a lower angle, such as in the morning or late afternoon, shadows become longer. The correct choice accurately notes that shadows are cast on the opposite side of an illuminated object. This means that as the sun moves across the sky, the shadows will shift direction correspondingly, always falling away from the sun. This fundamental concept of light and shadow is rooted in our understanding of how light behaves, illustrating the relationship between the light source and the objects it illuminates.