A Tube That Brings in Daylight
Subheadings, a diagram caption, and a glossary help readers discover how a daylight tube brings sunlight into a room without windows.
Play the quiz as a gameA room in the middle of a building may have no windows. Even on a sunny day, it can be dim. A daylight tube helps solve this problem by bringing sunlight through the roof.
Catching Daylight A clear dome sits on the roof. This rounded cover lets sunlight enter the tube. It also helps keep rain out. The tube reaches from the roof to a room's ceiling.
A Shiny Path The inside of the tube is shiny. As sunlight travels down, it bounces off the inside surface. That surface reflects the light toward the room. The tube does not need electricity to move sunlight.
A Softer Glow At the ceiling, a cover called a diffuser spreads the light around the room. Instead of one bright spot, there is a softer glow. Less daylight enters when clouds cover the sun. At night, people need another light source.
Diagram Caption A diagram is a drawing that shows how something works. A diagram of this tube shows arrows pointing down from the roof. Its caption reads, "Arrows show the path of sunlight from the dome to the diffuser."
Glossary Dim means not very bright. A dome is a cover shaped like half a ball. Reflects means bounces back. A diffuser is a cover that spreads light out.