Term: Cast Shadow

A cast shadow is the shaded area created on one object when another object is blocking its source of light. For example, a tree creates a cast shadow on the ground by blocking the sunlight that comes from above. The farther a cast shadow is from the object blocking the light, the lighter it gets and the softer its edges become. The length and shape of a cast shadow depends on the placement of the light source and the shape of the object creating the shadow.