Chapter - 1 Light - Reflection - and - Refraction
Chapter - 1 Light - Reflection - and - Refraction
(Physics)
Chapter 1: Light – Reflection and Refraction
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Spherical Mirrors
● Convex mirrors or diverging mirrors in which the reflecting surface is curved outwards.
● Concave mirrors or converging mirrors in which the reflecting surface is curved inwards.
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● The radius of curvature (R) of a spherical mirror is the radius of the hollow sphere of
glass, of which the spherical mirror is apart.
● The pole (P) of a spherical mirror is the centre of the mirror.
● The principal axis of a spherical mirror is a straight line passing through the centre of
curvature C and pole P of the spherical mirror.
● The principal focus (F) of a concave mirror is a point on the principal axis at which the
rays of light incident on the mirror, in a direction parallel to the principal axis, actually
meet after reflection from the mirror.
● The principal focus (F) of a convex mirror is a point on the principal axis from which the
rays of light incident on the mirror, in a direction parallel to the principal axis, appear to
diverge after reflection from the mirror.
● The focal length (f) of a mirror is the distance between its pole (P) and principal focus(F).
● For spherical mirrors of small aperture, R =2f.
Sign Conventions for Spherical Mirrors
According to New Cartesian Sign Conventions,
● All distances are measured from the pole of the mirror.
● The distances measured in the direction of incidence of light are taken as positive and
viceversa.
● The heights above the principal axis are taken as positive and viceversa.
Rules for tracing images formed by Spherical Mirrors
Rule 1: A ray which is parallel to the principal axis after reflection passes through the
principal focus in case of a concave mirror or appears to diverge from the principal focus in
case of a convex mirror.
Rule 2: A ray passing through the principal focus of a concave mirror or a ray which is
directed towards the principal focus of a convex mirror emerges parallel to the principal
axis after reflection.
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Rule 3: A ray passing through the centre of curvature of a concave mirror or directed
towards the centre of curvature of a convex mirror is reflected back along the same path.
Rule 4: A ray incident obliquely towards the pole of a concave mirror or a convex mirror is
reflected obliquely as per the laws of reflection.
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While dealing with the reflection of light by spherical mirrors, we shall follow a set of sign
conventions called the New Cartesian Sign Convention. In this convention, the pole (P) of
the mirror is taken as the origin. The principal axis of the mirror is taken as the x-axis (X’X)
of the coordinate system. The conventions are as follows:
● The object is always placed to the left of the mirror. This implies that the light
from the object falls on the mirror from the left-hand side.
● All distances parallel to the principal axis are measured from the pole of the
mirror.
● All the distances measured to the right of the origin (along + x-axis) are taken as
positive while those measured to the left of the origin (along – x-axis) are taken as
negative.
● Distances measured perpendicular to and above the principal axis (along + y-axis)
are taken as positive.
● Distances measured perpendicular to and below the principal axis (along –y-axis)
are taken as negative.
● Mirror Formula
The object distance (u), image distance (v) and focal length (f) of a spherical mirror are
related as
1 1 1
= +
f u v
● Linear Magnification (m)
The magnification produced by a spherical mirror indicates the extent to which an object's
image is magnified in relation to the object size.
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Magnification is defined as the ratio of the image's height to the object's height. The letter
m is commonly used to represent it.
If h is the object's height and h' is the image's height, then the magnification m produced by
a spherical mirror can be written as
Height of the Image h′
m= =
Height of the object h
m is negative for real images and positive for virtual images.
Refraction of Light
● The phenomenon of change in the path of a beam of light as it passes from one medium
to another is called refraction of light.
● The cause of refraction is the change in the speed of light as it goes from one medium to
another.
● Laws of Refraction
o First Law: The incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal to the interface of two
media at the point of incidence, all lie in the same plane.
o Second Law: The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of
refraction is constant for a given pair of media.
sin sin i
= constant =1 n2
sin sin r
This law is also known as Snell’s law.
The constant, written as 1n2 is called
2
the refractive index of the second medium (in which
the refracted ray lies) with respect to the first medium (in which the incident ray lies).
● Absolute refractive index (n) of a medium is given as
speed of light in vacuum C
n= =
speed of light in the medium V
● When a beam of light passes from medium 1 to medium 2, the refractive index of
medium 2 with respect to medium 1 is called the relative refractive index, represented
by 1n ,where
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● While going from a rarer to a denser medium, the ray of light bends towards the normal.
While going from a denser to a rarer medium, the ray of light bends away from the normal.
● Conditions for no refraction
o When light is incident normally on a boundary.
o When the refractive indices of the two media are equal.
● In the case of a rectangular glass slab, a ray of light suffers two refractions, one at the air–
glass interface and the other at the glass–air interface. The emergent ray is parallel to the
direction of the incident ray.
Spherical Lens
o Convex lens or converging lens which is thick at the centre and thin at the edges.
o Concave lens or diverging lens which is thin at the centre and thick at the edges.
● Some terms related to spherical lenses:
o The central point of the lens is known as its optical centre(O).
o Each of the two spherical surfaces of a lens forms a part of a sphere. The centres of these
spheres are called centres of curvature of the lens. These are represented as C1andC2.
o The principal axis of a lens is a straight line passing through its two centres of curvature.
o The principal focus of a convex lens is a point on its principal axis to which light rays
parallel to the principal axis converge after passing through the lens.
o The principal focus of a concave lens is a point on its principal axis from which light rays,
originally parallel to the principal axis appear to diverge after passing through the lens.
o The focal length (f) of a lens is the distance of the principal focus from the optical centre.
● Sign Conventions for Spherical Lenses
According to New Cartesian Sign Conventions,
o All distances are measured from the optical centre of the lens.
o The distances measured in the direction of incidence of light are taken as positive and
viceversa.
o The heights above the principal axis are taken as positive and viceversa.
● Rules for tracing images formed by spherical lens
Rule 1: A ray which is parallel to the principal axis, after refraction passes through the
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principal focus on the other side of the lens in case of a convex lens or appears to diverge
from the principal focus on the same side of the lens in case of a concave lens.
Rule 2: A ray passing through the principal focus of a convex lens or appearing to meet at the
principal focus of a concave lens after refraction emerges parallel to the principal axis.
Rule 3: A ray passing through the optical centre of a convex lens or a concave lens emerges
without any deviation.
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● Ray Diagrams
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o Ray Diagrams
o Characteristics of imagesformed
Position of object Position of image Size of image Nature of image
At infinity At focus F1 Highly diminished Virtual and erect
Between infinity and O Between focus F1 and O Diminished Virtual and erect
● Lens Formula
Object distance (u), image distance (v) and focal length (f) of a spherical lens are related as
1 1 1
− =
v u f
● Linear Magnification (m) produced by a spherical lens is
Height of the Image h′
m= =
Height of the object h
m is negative for real images and positive for virtual images.
● Power of a lens
● Power of a lens is the reciprocal of the focal length of the lens. Its S.I. unit is dioptre (D).
1
P (dioptre) =
f (metre)
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Important Questions
⮚ Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Which of the following can make a parallel beam of light when light from a point
source is incident on it?
(a) Concave mirror as well as convex lens
(b) Convex mirror as well as concave lens
(c) Two plane mirrors placed at 90° to each other
(d) Concave mirror as well as concave lens
2. A 10 mm long awl pin is placed vertically in front of a concave mirror. A 5 mm long
image of the awl pin is formed at 30 cm in front of the mirror. The focal length of this
mirror is
(a) -30 cm
(b) -20 cm
(c) -40cm
(d) -60 cm
3. Under which of the following conditions a concave mirror can form an image larger
than the actual object?
(a) When the object is kept at a distance equal to its radius of curvature
(b) When object is kept at a distance less than its focal length
(c) When object is placed between the focus and center of curvature
(d) When object is kept at a distance greater than its radius of curvature
4. The diagrams showing the correct path of the ray after passing through the
5. A light ray enters from medium A to medium B as shown in figure. The refractive
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index of medium B relative to A will be
⮚ Short Questions:
1. List two differences between real and virtual images.
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2. State the laws of reflection of light.
3. With the ray diagram show that angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection
when a ray is incident on the concave mirror.
4. An object is placed at the following distances from a concave mirror of focal length
15 cm.
(a) 10 cm
(b) 20 cm
(c) 30 cm
(d) 40 cm
Which position of the object will produce
● Virtual image
● A diminished real image
● An enlarged real image
● An image of same size.
5. Draw ray diagram to show the formation of images when the object is placed in
front of a concave mirror
(i) between its pole and focus point,
6. State three uses of a concave mirror.
7. State two uses of a convex mirror.
8. Parallel rays of light incident on a concave mirror and a convex mirror as shown in
figure,
(i) Redraw the reflected rays in both the cases,
(ii) Name the points where the reflected rays meet or appear to meet on the principal
axis.
⮚ Long Questions:
1. A thin converging lens forms a:
(i) real magnified image
(ii) virtual magnified image of an object placed in front of it.
(a) Write the positions of the objects in each case.
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(b) Draw labelled diagrams to show the image formation in each case.
(c) How will the following be affected on cutting this lens into two halves along the
principal axis?
● focal length,
● intensity of the image formed by half lens.
2. For the given data showing object distance and focal length of three concave
mirrors, answer the following questions:
● Out of the three in which case the mirror will form the image having same size
as the object?
● Which mirror is being used as a make-up-mirror?
● Draw the ray diagram for part (1) and part (2)
This speed of light varies from medium to medium. A medium in which the speed of
light is more is optically rarer medium whereas in which the speed of light is less is
optically denser medium. Whenever light goes from one medium to another, the
frequency of light does not change however, speed and wavelength change. It
concluded that change in speed of light is the basic cause of refraction.
i. When light travels from air to glass, the ray of light bends:
a. Towards the normal.
b. Away from normal.
c. Anywhere.
d. None of these.
ii. A ray of light passes from a medium A to another medium B. No bending of light
occurs if the ray of light hits the boundary of medium B at an angle of:
a. 0º
b. 45º
c. 90º
d. 120º
iii. When light passes from one medium to another, the frequency of light:
a. Increases
b. Decreases
c. Remains same
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d. None of these
iv. When light passes from glass to water, the speed of light:
a. Increases.
b. Decreases.
c. Remains same.
d. First increases then decrease.
v. The bottom of pool filled with water appears to be due to refraction of light:
a. Shallower
b. Deeper
c. At same depth
d. Empty
2. The lenses form different types of images when object placed at different locations. When
a ray is incident parallel to the principal axis, then after refraction, it passes through the
focus or appears to come from the focus. When a ray goes through the optical centre of the
lens, it passes without any deviation. If the object is placed between focus and optical
canter of the convex lens, erect and magnified image is fanned. As the object is brought
closer to the convex lens from infinity to focus, the image moves away from the convex lens
from focus to infinity. Also, the size of image goes on increasing and the image is always
real and inverted. A concave lens always gives a virtual, erect, and diminished image
irrespective to the position of the object.
i. The location of image fanned by a convex lens when the object is placed at infinity
is
a. At focus
b. At 2F
c. At optical center
d. Between F and 2F
ii. When the object is placed at the focus of concave lens, the image formed is:
a. Real and smaller
b. Virtual and inverted
c. Virtual and smaller
d. Real and erect
iii. The size of image formed by a convex lens when the object is placed at the focus of
convex lens is:
a. Small
b. Point in size
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c. Highly magnified
d. Same as that of object
iv. When the object is placed at 2F in front of convex lens, the location of image is:
a. At F
b. At 2 F on the other side
c. At infinity
d. Between F and optical center
v. At which location of object in front of concave lens, the image between focus and
optical centre is formed:
a. Anywhere between centre and infinity
b. At F
c. At 2F
d. Infinity
✔ Answer Key-
⮚ Multiple Choice Answers:
1. (a) Concave mirror as well as convex lens
2. (b) -20 cm
3. (c) When object is placed between the focus and centre of curvature
4. (c) I, II and III
5. (a) greater than unity
6. (a) A rectangular glass slab
7. (d) Convex lens
8. (a) A convex lens has 4 dioptre power having a focal length 0.25 m
9. (a) is less than one
10. (b) 30 cm in front of the mirror
⮚ Short Answers:
1. Answer:
Real Image Virtual Image
Real images are formed by a concave Convex mirror form a virtual
mirror image
Real images are formed due to the Virtual images are formed due to
actual intersection of light rays the imaginary intersection of light
rays
2. Answer:
Angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. That is, ∠i = ∠r .
Incident ray, reflected ray and normal to the reflecting surface at the point of
incidence lie in the same plane.
3. Answer:
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4. Answer:
Concave mirror forms virtual image if object is placed between the focus and pole
of the mirror. Therefore, for the position of object at 10 cm mirror forms the
required image.
A real and diminished image is formed when object lies beyond C i.e., beyond 2F.
So, for the position of object at 40 cm, mirror forms the required image.
An enlarged real image is formed when object lies between F and 2 F. So, for the
position of object at 20 cm, mirror forms the required image.
An image of same size of the object is formed when object lies at C or 2F. So, for
the position of object at 30 cm, mirror forms the required image.
5. Answer:
(i)
(ii)
6. Answer:
Reflector: Concave mirrors are used in motor head lights, search lights and torches
etc. to produce an intense parallel beam of light. A bulb is placed at the focus of
concave mirror or concave reflecting surface. The beam of light from the bulb after
reflecting from the concave mirror goes as a parallel beam (figure 24).
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This parallel beam of – light illuminates the road ahead of the vehicle.
Shaving and make up mirror: When an object is placed close to a concave mirror
(i.e between the pole and focus of the concave mirror), an erect and enlarged
(large in
size) image of the object is formed. Because of this fact, concave mirror is used by
men to see their enlarged faces while shaving. Similarly, a lady can see her face
better with the help of a concave mirror while doing make up.
In solar cookers: When a parallel beam of sun light falls on a concave mirror, this
beam is brought to the focus of the concave mirror. As a result of this, the
temperature of an object (say a container containing un-cooked food) placed at
this focus increases considerably. Hence the food in the container is cooked (figure
25).
7. Answer:
Rear view or driver’s mirror. Convex mirror is used as a rear view mirror in vehicles
because this mirror forms an erect and diminished image of an object behind the
vehicle. Since the image of the object formed is small in size, so the field of view is
increased. It means, the driver of a vehicle can see the traffic over large area
behind his vehicle. This mirror is also known as driver’s mirror.
In street lights. Convex mirror is used in street lights to diverge light over a large
area (figure 28).
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8. Answer:
(i) Reflected rays are shown in figures.
(ii) The point where the reflected rays of light meet or appear to meet on the
principal axis is known as principal focus F of the concave mirror or convex mirror.
⮚ Long Answers:
1. Answer:
(a)
● A converging or convex lens forms real and magnified image of an object,
when the object is placed between F1 and 2F1
● A converging lens forms a virtual magnified image of an object, when the
object is placed between the focus and optical center of the converging lens.
(b)
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(c)
Focal length of each half will be equal to the focal length of the lens. If converging
lens of focal length f is cut into two equal halves as shown in figure
iii.
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v. (a) Shallower
Explanation:
The bottom of a pool of water appears to be less deep than it actually is due to
refraction.
2. i (a) At focus
Explanation:
When an object is placed at infinity of convex lens, image will be formed at focus F.
ii. (b)Virtual and inverted
Explanation:
Virtual and inverted image is formed, when object is placed at focus of the concave
lens.
iii. (c) Highly magnified
Explanation:
When object is placed at focus of a convex lens, highly enlarged or magnified
image is formed.
iv. (b) At 2 F on the other side
Explanation:
When an object is placed at distance 2F in front of a convex lens, then the
image formed is at a distance 2F on the other of the lens.
v. (a) Anywhere between centre and infinity
Explanation:
Image if formed between focus and optical centre when the object is placed
anywhere between optical centre and infinity.
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