Ray Optics

Reflection at
Plane Surface Lecture - 1
Jayant Nagda
Physics Educator
unacademy.com/@JayantNagda

B.Tech, IIT Bombay

IIT-JEE AIR - 161

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 Study of Light & its Properties

Optics

Geometrical Optics Wave Optics

or or
Ray Optics Physical Optics
Optics
Geometrical Optics

Considering
rectilinear motion
of light.

● Reflection
● Refraction
● Image Formation

Casts Shadows
Newton’s Opticks: light as stream of particles
Explains: Reflection, Refraction
Doesn’t Explain: Diffraction/ Interference
Optics
Wave Optics

Considering phenomenon
which explain
wave nature of light.

● Interference
● Diffraction
● Polarisation

Diffraction: bending of wave around obstacles

Interference: light + light = dark

Understanding Light

Rectilinear Propagation of Light

❏ Light ray travels in a straight line
Light travels in a straight line in a homogeneous isotropic medium

(Except when light enters a new medium if deflects)

Understanding Light

❏ Light is invisible

Light ray cannot be seen as it moves through space unless

it is scattered / reflected by an obstacle.
Understanding Light

❏ How we see things around us ?

In every case light from source enters our eyes where an image is
made and our brain is able to make out those signals.
Types of Objects

Luminous Objects

Objects which generate their own light

Non luminous / Illuminated Objects

Objects which are capable of reflecting light

Motion of a light ray

Representation of a light ray

Beam/Bundle of light ray

Pencil of light ray

Reflection of Light
The phenomenon of turning back of light, when incident on
the boundary of two media, is called Reflection.

Surfaces which cause reflection are

called Reflectors or Mirror.

Mirror :- polished glass with silvering on one side.

Plane Mirror
Reflection of Light

Incident Ray

Light ray falling on the mirror.

Plane Mirror

Reflected Ray

Light ray going away from mirror.

Reflection of Light

Incident Ray Normal Reflected Ray O : Point of incidence

N AO : Incident ray
B
A ON : Normal
i r i : Angle of Incidence
r : Angle of Reflection

O
Plane Mirror

1. Angle of Incidence is equal

to Angle of Reflection
∠i=∠r
Laws of Reflection

incident ray Normal O : Point of incidence

reflected ray
N AO : Incident ray
A B
ON : Normal
i r i : Angle of Incidence
r : Angle of Reflection
O
Plane Mirror

1. Angle of Incidence is equal to Angle of Reflection

∠i=∠r

2. Incident ray, Normal to the mirror and Reflected ray,

all lie in the same plane.
Angle of Deviation ઠ

Angle between the light incident on an optical instrument

and final emergent ray.

In reflection, angle of deviation ઠ is

angle through which incident light gets turned through due to
reflection.

Example:

30o
Example Determine angle of deviation ઠ of incident ray

450

O
Example Determine angle of deviation ઠ of incident ray

450
450 angle of deviation

δ = 900

900 Anti clockwise

Example Determine angle of deviation ઠ of light ray incident at an
angle θ with normal

A. θ Clockwise B. θ Anticlockwise

C. π - θ Anticlockwise D. π - 2θ Anticlockwise

O
Example Draw the reflected ray and determine the angle of
deviation for each case of final emergent ray

1.

200

O
Example Draw the reflected ray and determine the angle of
deviation for each case of final emergent ray

2.

Horizontal ray

300
Example Light is incident on the plane mirror as shown. If
incident ray is rotated through an angle ‘θ’
anticlockwise, what is the angle by which reflected ray
turns through, keeping mirror steady at all times.

A. θ Clockwise B. θ Anticlockwise

C. 2θ Clockwise D. 2θ Anticlockwise
Example if incident ray is steady but mirror turns through by ‘θ’
clockwise, by what angle is reflected ray turned
through?
A. θ Clockwise B. θ Anticlockwise

C. 2θ Clockwise D. 2θ Anticlockwise
Tracing the Image

1. Consider any two light rays emanating (starting) from object.

2. Apply law of Reflection on each of them.
3. Find the meeting point / intersection of those reflected rays.
Image formation from Plane Mirror
Image formation from Plane Mirror

● I is virtual image,

● at same distance from

mirror as object. O I

● Same size as object

● Upright
Image formation from Plane Mirror

● Left-Right reversal (lateral inversion)

Objects - Source of light rays incident on optical system

Types of Objects

Real Object

Object is real if two or more rays emanate (start)

or seem to emanate from a point.

Diverging incident ray

Types of Objects

Virtual Object
A converging set of Incident rays
which did not appear to emanate from a point.

Virtual Object
Real image I O
Types of Image Image: A point where rays converging
after interaction with optical element.

Real image

Real image is formed when rays actually meet after

the interaction with optical element
Real image can be captured on a screen

Converging Reflected Rays

Real O Real image

Convex lens
Types of Image

Virtual image

If rays, after interaction with optical element, do not meet

(converge) but appear to emanate from a point, then a
virtual image is formed

Diverging Reflected Rays

Real Object Virtual image

Types of Objects & Images

diverging Real Object

Incident rays
converging Virtual Object

converging Real Image

Reflected rays
diverging Virtual Image
Image formation from Plane Mirror

● I is virtual image, mirror

● at same distance A E

from mirror as object. h0 hi

θ θ
● Same size as object θ C
Image
Object B D

● Upright

● Left-Right reversal (lateral

inversion)
Daily Practice Problems
Example At what angle from horizontal must we keep the
mirror in order to get a vertical reflected ray

300

Ans : 30o, ACW

Example Draw the reflected ray and determine the angle of
deviation for each case of final emergent ray

1.
370

Ans 1:
Horizontal ray
δ = 106o Anti-
2. clockwise

600 Ans 2:
δ = 120o Anti-
clockwise
Example Draw the reflected ray and determine the angle of
deviation for each case of final emergent ray

3.

600 300

Ans 3:
Retraces original
direction
δ = 180o
Example What is the minimum height of mirror required for a person
of height H, to see his image completely

Ans: H/2
Example Show that

If incident light ray is turned by an angle θ, show that angle

turned by reflected ray is also same ‘θ’ in opposite
sense(keeping the mirror steady)

And

For a fixed incident light ray, if mirror is rotated through ‘θ’,

show that reflected ray turns through 2θ in same sense.
Example Entire x - y plane is a mirror and a light ray in direction
is incident on origin. What is the direction of
reflected ray?

Ans: 2i - 3j + k
Example A virtual image is formed by a plane mirror, when the
pencil of light is incident on the mirror, then the incident
pencil on the mirror is

A. diverging

B. parallel

C. converging

D. all of the above

Ans : A
Example Mark the correct options

A. If the incident rays are converging, we have a real object

B. If the reflected rays are converging, we have a real image

C. The image of a virtual object is called a virtual image

D. If the image is virtual, the corresponding object is called

a virtual object

Ans : B
Example When a clock is viewed in a mirror, the needles exhibit a
time which appears to be 8:20. Then the actual time will
be
A. 4.40 B. 3.40 C. 8.20 D. 3.20

Ans : B
Example Find the angle between two plane mirrors such that a ray
of light is incident on the first mirror and parallel to the
second is reflected from the second mirror, parallel to the
first mirror
A. 300 B. 600 C. 700 D. 900

Ans : B
Example A mirror is inclined at an angle of θo with the horizontal. If
a ray of light is incident at an angle of incidence θ0 then
the reflected ray makes the following angle with the
horizontal Incident ray
A. θo B. 2θo M

C. θo/2 D. None of these

θ

θ H

Ans : D
Example Two plane mirrors A and B are aligned parallel to each other, as
shown in the figure. A light ray is incident at an angle of 30º at a
point just inside one end of A. The plane of incidence coincides
with the plane of the figure. The maximum number of times the
ray undergoes reflections (including the first one) before it
merges out is [IIT-JEE 2002]
A. 28 B. 30 2√3 m
B
C. 32 D. 34
300
0.2 m

Ans : B
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