A cast shadow is the shadow projected by an object onto another surface in the direction opposite to the light source. It is essentially the terminator of the object extended onto another surface. Cast shadows visually communicate the spatial relationships between objects and their environment.

Experiment with the interactive 3D model below to see how the light direction affects the cast shadow.

Try the following:

1. Move the camera around to view the scene from different angles.
2. Observe how the shadow's shape and position change as the light direction changes.