Chapter 16

LIGHT
Practice Zone 1
1.What is Light ?
Ans-Light is a form of energy which helps us see various objects.
2.Why does an Apple look red and a leaf green ?
Ans-An apple looks red because out of the seven colours of light only the red colour is reflected by
the apple's skin and all the other colours are absorbed. A leaf looks green because it reflects only
green colour.
Practice Zone 2
1.Differentiate between a ray and a beam of light.
Ans- Light travels in a straight line, called a ray. A collection of light rays is called a beam.
2.What do you understand by angle of incidence and angle of reflection ?
Ans- Angle of incidence: The angle between the incident ray and the normal is called the angle of
incidence. Angle AON represents the angle of incidence in the given figure
Angle of reflection: The angle between the reflected ray and the normal is called the angle of
reflection. Angle NOB represents the angle of reflection in the given figure.

3.Explain the phenomenon of reflection of light.

Ans-Light bounces back from the surface of the mirror when you flash the torch light on the mirror.
This phenomenon of bouncing back of light after striking a surface is called reflection of light.

Practice Zone 3
1.What happens to a light ray when it strikes a smooth and shiny object ?
Ans-When a light ray strikes a smooth and shiny surface, light is reflected completely and regular
reflection takes place enabling us to see that object very clearly
2. Why do a few things shine and few things appear dull ?
or

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3. Why does a new cricket ball look shiny and brighter than the ball which has been balled for
25 overs ?
Ans-The Smooth and plane surfaces reflect the maximum amount of light, whereas rough and dirty
surfaces reflect less light. The new ball is clean and smooth; hence it reflects the maximum amount of
light falling on it and looks shiny and bright. The same ball will be affected by wear and tear after 25
overs and become rough.lt will reflect less light and appear dull.

4.If an incident ray makes an angle of 37°with the surface of a plane mirror ,what are the angle
of incidence and reflection?
Ans-The angle of incidence and angle of reflection is equal to 53°. ( i.e 90°- 37°)
Practice Zone 4
1.Define the following terms.
a. Virtual Image
Ans-At a point where the rays appear to meet, the image of the object is formed. Such a image cannot
be obtained on a screen and is called a virtual image.
b. Lateral Inversion
Ans- In lateral inversion; the left side of the object appears to be on the right side in the image and
vice-versa.
2. How does number of multiple images vary between two mirrors ?
Ans-The number of multiple images varies with the angle of inclination of the two mirrors.
3.How does a kaleidoscope work ?
Ans- A kaleidoscope works on the phenomenon of multiple imaging ,When the kaleidoscope is
shaken, the broken pieces of glass in the kaleidoscope rearrange themselves in different ways and
hence secondary reflection takes place resulting in various patterns.
4.An object is placed 40cm away in front of a mirror .Now ,both the object and the mirror are
moved 10cm towards each other .What will be the distance between the object and image
formed ?
Ans-The distance between the object and image would be 40 cm.
Practice Zone 5
1.Name the part of the eye on which image is formed .
Ans- Retina
2.Why do we see things in motion in a film though just they are static images ?
Ans-The images in a movie are seen in motion even though they are just static images due to the
phenomenon of persistence of vision. An image remains on the retina of our eye for one-sixteenth
second so if images of an object are flashed on the eye at a rate faster than 16 pictures per second they
appear to be moving. On a screen, images are projected at the rate of 24 pictures per second,thus we
see a moving picture
3.What are the two differences in non –optical and optical aids used by visually challenged
persons ?

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Ans-The differences between optical and non-optical aids are:
Non-optical aids:
a. These are for people who have completely lost their eye sight.
b. They include tactual aids, auditory aids and electronic aids. Tactual aids include Braille writing
scripts, auditory aids include cassettes, tape recordings, etc.
Optical Aids:
a. These are for people who are still able to see but not completely.
b. These aids include lens in spectacles, bifocal lens, microscopes etc.
CheckPoints
1.State whether the following statements are true or false.
a. Eyes have colour due to pigmentation in iris. True
b. We cannot see our face on the wall due to diffused reflection. True
c. Pupil of eyes can be dilated or contracted by ciliary muscles. False
2.What are the laws of reflection ?
Ans-The laws of reflection are:
a. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
b. The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal, all lie in the same plane.
3.Write five ways in which you take care of your eyes .
Ans- Five ways in which we can take care of our eyes are:
a. Avoid working in very dim or very intense light.
b. Never look directly at a strong light source.
c. Always read from a suitable distance
d. Include green vegetables in your diet as they contain vitamin A which helps prevent night
blindness.
e. Wash your eyes regularly with clean water
4.Give two examples where we fail to recognise the actual phenomenon due to persistence of
vision .
Ans-. a. Motion pictures
b. Animation
c. Flip books (Print media)
5. What do you mean by secondary reflection ?
Ans-When two plane mirrors are inclined to each other at some angle, then more than one image is
formed and the reflection involved in such case is known as secondary reflection.

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6.Differentiate between rod and cone cell of the human eye.
Ans-Rod cells: These are sensitive only in dim light and responsive to black and white colours.
Cone cells: These are sensitive in bright light and responsive to the different colours of the object.
Faulty cone cells cause colour blindness.
7. Explain the function of different parts of a human eye with the help of a labelled diagram.
Ans-The different parts of the human eye
Sclera: It is the white tough skin that covers the outside of the eyeball, i.e., white Portion of the eye.
Cornea: It is the transparent, front covering of the eye which has only nerves and no blood vessels.
Iris: It is the circular band of muscles behind the cornea that controls the size of the pupil. The colour
of the eye is due to the pigmentation in the iris.
Pupil: It is the hole in the centre of the eye. Light enters into the eye through it. Its shape and size
change according to the amount of light entering into the eye. This means that in bright light, the iris
contracts and the pupil allows less light to enter into the eyes and In dim light the iris expands and the
pupil allows more light to come into the eyes.
Eye lens: Behind the pupil, there is a convex lens which focuses light onto the retina..
Ciliary Muscles: There is a circle of tiny muscles around the lens called the ciliary muscles which
change the shape of the lens by contracting or relaxing. The lens contracts to see nearby objects and
relaxes to see distant objects.
Retina: This is the back portion of the eye that contains light sensitive cone cells and rod cells and
acts as a screen an which the lens forms an inverted image.
Blind Spot: It is the small area on the retina which is without any sensation of light .This is due to the
absence of rod and cone cells.
Optic Nerve: It is responsible for sending electrical messages produced on the retina to the brain for
further analysis.

8. How do our eyes work ?

Ans-Light rays go through the cornea, pupil and the eye lens, respectively, before reaching the retina.
The iris controls the size of the pupil and the amount of light that enters the eye. The cornea adjusts
and focuses the eye on objects in the line of sight. After passing through the pupil, the light enters the
lens which produces an inverted image of the object on the retina. The retina contains light sensitive
rod and cone cells which transform the light sensation into neural messages. The optic nerve sends
these messages to the brain, the brain interprets the image and we see the object.

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Q9. Gurmit wanted to perform the activity to prove laws of reflection using a laser torch. Her
teacher advised her not to do so. Can you explain the basis of the teacher's advice?
Ans- Laser light is harmful for the human eyes, because its intensity is very high. It can cause
damage to the retina and lead to blindness. Hence it is advisable not to look at a laser beam directly.
10. Two plane mirrors are placed perpendicular to each other .An incident ray strikes the first
mirror at an angle of incidence of 43° . Explain the path of the reflected ray form the second
mirror with the help of a diagram .
Ans-The incident ray strikes the first mirror at an angle of incidence of 43° .The angle of reflection is
43°.This reflected ray is incident on the second mirror by making an angle of incidence of 47° (as the
mirrors are perpendicular to each other thus, angle of incidence of second mirror is (90-43°).Thus, the
reflected ray from the second mirror makes an angle of reflection of 47°.

11. A rays Strike the mirror at an angle of 30° with the mirror .Find out :
a.The angle of incidence .
Ans a. The angle of incidence is 60°
b.The angle of reflection
Ans-b. The angle of reflection is 60°
13. Give reasons of the following :
a. Why do some people have blue eyes and some have brown eyes?
b. Why should we eat carrot in sufficient amount ?
c. Why cannot we see our image in wooden furniture?
Ans-
a. The colour of the eyes is due to the pigment in the iris. Blue eyes have the minimum amount of
pigment whereas brown eyes have the maximum amount of pigment in sufficient amounts.
b. Carrots are rich in Vitamin A which is very good for the eyesight hence it is advisable to eat carrots
c. We cannot see our image in the wooden furniture as wooden furniture gives out an irregular
reflection. Light spreads in all directions and only the furniture is visible to us.

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