LIGHT

 Light undergoes refraction (bending) when it

travels from one transparent medium to another.

 The objects which emit (give) light are called

luminous objects. It may be natural or man-
made. Sun is a natural source of light and electric
lamp, and oil lamp, etc. are man-made source of
light.
 The Non-luminous objects do not emit light.
However, such objects become visible due to the
reflection of the light falling on them. Moon does
not emit light. It becomes visible due to the
reflection of the sunlight falling on it.

Substance through which light propagates or tends

to propagate is called a medium of light.
According to the medium of light objects are
divided into three parts.
(i) Transparent object :
Bodies that allow light to pass through then i.e.
transmit light through them, are called transparent
bodies.
Ex. Glass, water, air etc

(ii) Translucent object :

 Light is a form of energy, (optical energy) which Bodies that can transmit only a part of light
helps us in seeing objects by its presence. through them are called translucent objects.
 Light travels in a straight line with 3 × 108 m/s in Ex. Froasted or ground glass, greased paper , paraffin
vaccum.. wax etc.
 The velocity of light changes when it travels from (iii) Opaque object :
one medium to another. Bodies that do not allow light to pass through
 Light gets reflected back from polished surfaces, them at all are said to be opaque objects
such as mirrors, polished metal surfaces, etc. Ex. Chair, desk etc.
  Types of mirror

Light travels in a straight line. In vaccum or air,

light travels with the velocity of 3 × 108 m/s.
Activity : If we see at a lighted candle through a
straight pipe as shown in figure(a), we are able to
see the candle but if we see the candle through a
bent pipe we are not able to see the candle flame
 SOME ASSOCIATED TERMS
as shown in figure (b).
This activity showed that light travels along
straight lines.

(a) b)  Reflecting surface : The surface from which the

light is reflected, is called the reflecting surface.
In diagram, XY is the reflecting surface.
(Actually XY is the section of a reflecting
When light travelling in one medium falls on the surface, made by the plane of the book page
surface of a second medium, the following three which is perpendicular to it.)
effects may occur.
 Point of incidence : The point on the reflecting
(i) A part of the incident light is turned back into the
first medium. This phenomenon is called surface at which a ray of light strikes, is called the
reflection of light. point of incidence. In diagram, O is the point of
(ii) A part of the incident light is transmitted into the incidence.
second medium along a changed direction. This  Normal : A perpendicular drawn on the reflecting
phenomenon is called refraction of light.
surface at the point of incidence, is called the
(iii) The remaining third part of light energy is
absorbed by the second medium. This normal. In diagram, NO is the normal.
phenomenon is called absorption of light.  Incident ray : The ray of light which strikes the
reflecting surface at the point of incidence is
called the incident ray. In diagram, PO is the
incident ray.
 Reflected ray : The ray of light reflected from the
reflecting surface from the point of incidence, is
called the reflected ray. In diagram, OQ is the
reflected ray.
 Angle of incidence : The angle that the incident
ray makes with the normal, is called the angle of
incidence. It is represented by the symbol i. In
diagram, angle PON is the angle of incidence.
When light rays are incident on an opaque  Angle of reflection : The angle that the reflected
polished surface (medium), these are returned ray makes with the normal, is called the angle of
back in the same medium. reflection. It is represented by the symbol r. In
This phenomenon of returning of ray of light in diagram, QON is the angle of reflection.
the same medium, is called reflection of light.
  Image distance : It will be same as that of object
distance.
 Lateral inversion : If you move your right hand,
 First law : The incident ray, the reflected ray and it will appear as if the left hand of your image is
the normal at the point of incidence, all lie in the moving. If you keep a printed page in front of a
same plane. plane mirror, the image of the letters appear erect
Second law : The angle of reflection (r) is but inverted laterally, or sideways. Such an
always equal to the angle of incidence (i).
inversion is called lateral inversion.
i.e., r = i
(For normal incidence, i = 0, r = 0. The ray is
L R R L
reflected back along normal).

O bject Im age

 Regular Reflection :
In this reflection, parallel beam of light goes
parallel after reflection from plane surface.
This reflection follows the laws reflection.  There are two types of spherical mirrors:
(i) Concave mirror :

Regular reflection (ii) Convex mirror :

 IRREGULAR REFLECTION OR
DIFFUSED REFLECTION :
In this reflection, parallel beam of light goes
random after reflection from a rough surface.
This reflection also follows the laws of reflection.

RAY DIAGRAM FOR IMAGE

FORMATION FROM CONCAVE
Irregular or diffused reflection
MIRROR
(a) When the light ray incident parallel to the
principal axis.
 Size : size of the image is same as that of object.
 Upright or Erect : Image formed erect with
respect to object.
 (b) When the light ray incident on the mirror
OR directing towards centre of curvature.
When the light ray incident towards focus.

(b) When the light ray incident towards centre of

curvature.

When light rays travelling in a medium are

incident on a transparent surface of another
medium they are bent as they travel in second
medium.

(c) When the light ray incident on the pole of the

mirror.

Fig. Refraction of light from a plane transparent

denser surface.

 RULES FOR IMAGE FORMATION

FROM CONVEX MIRROR
(a) When the light ray incident parallel to the A piece of a transparent medium bounded by at
principal axis. least one spherical surface, is called a spherical
lens.
 Types : There are two types of spherical lenses:
(i) Convex or Converging Lens : They are thick in
the middle and thin at the edges.

OR
When the light ray incident parallel to the
principal axis.
(ii) Concave or diverging Lens :
 They are thinner in the middle and thin at the
edges.

When light travels from a denser medium to a

rarer medium and is incident at an angle more
than the critical angle for that medium, it is
completely returned inwardly in the denser
medium. This complete inward return of light is
called total (complete) internal (inward)
reflection (return).

 RAY DIAGRAM FOR IMAGE FORMATION

FROM CONVEX LENS
 When light ray incident parallel to principal
axis.

Fig. Total internal reflection.

 When light ray incident from focus.

 Definition : When a ray of white light (sunlight)

enters a glass prism (denser medium). It emerges
out from it broken into seven colours.
 When light ray incident on the pole. This phenomenon, due to which different
components of a white light are separated by a
denser medium, is called dispersion
(separation).
 Explanation : It is due to different velocities of
different components of white light in the denser
 RAY DIAGRAM FOR IMAGE FORMATION medium.
FROM CONCAVE LENS White light has seven colours, namely, violet
 When light ray incident parallel to principal axis. indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red
(remembered by the word VIBGYOR). In air
(strictly in vacuum) light waves of all colours
have same velocity (3 × 108 m/s). But in a denser
medium, their velocities become less and
different. Red light waves, travel fastest and have
maximum velocity. Violet light waves, travel
slowest and have minimum velocity in the denser
medium.

Due to difference in deviation, waves of different

colours emerge out from the prism indifferent
 directions and are said to have been dispersed 2. Long sightedness or hyper
(separated). When the dispersed white light is metropia :
made to fall on a white screen, we get a seven  Symptoms : With this defect eye cannot see
coloured band or light. This coloured band is clearly within a certain distance. It means that the
called spectrum near point of the defective eye has shifted from 25
cm to some more distance behind (away).
 Correction : The deficiency in converging power
of eye lens is compensated by using a convex
(Converging) lens of proper power (focal length)
It is the most delicate and complicated natural
as shown in fig.
optical instrument.

Fig : Hypermetropia corrected by a convex lens.

Diagram shows the section of a human eye by a (A) FORMATION OF RAINBOW

horizontal plane. It is a spherical ball of diameter A rainbow is a natural spectrum appearing in the
about 2.5 cm. sky after a rain shower. It is caused by dispersion
of sunlight by tiny water droplets, present in the
atmosphere. A rainbow is always formed in a
direction opposite to that of the Sun. The water
 DEFECTS OF VISION droplets act like small prisms. They refract and
disperse the incident sunlight, then reflect it
The major defects of vision are :
internally, and finally refract it again when it
1. Short sightedness or myopia.
comes out of the raindrop. Due to the dispersion
2. Long sightedness or hypermetropia.
of light and internal reflection, different colours
reach the observer’s eye.
1. Short sightedness or myopia
 Symptoms : Eye cannot see clearly beyond a
certain distance. It means that the far point of the
defective eye has shifted from infinity to a finite
distance ahead.

 Correction : The extra converging power of eye

(B) ATMOSPHERIC REFRACTION
lens in compensated by using a concave
We can observe the apparent random wavering or
(diverging) lens of proper power (focal length) as
flickering of objects seen through a turbulent
shown in fig.
stream of hot air rising above a fire or a radiator.
The air just above the fire becomes hotter than the
air further up. The hotter air is lighter (less dense)
than the cooler air above it, and has a refractive
index slightly less than that of the cooler air.
Since the physical conditions of the refracting
medium (air) are not stationary, the apparent
Fig. Myopia corrected by a concave lens position of the object, as seen through the hot air,
 fluctuates. This wavering is thus an effect of
atmospheric refraction (refraction of light by the
earth’s atmosphere) on a small scale in our local
environment. The twinkling of stars is a similar
phenomenon on a much larger scale.

(a) Twinkling of stars :

The twinkling of a star is due to atmospheric
refraction of starlight. The starlight, on entering
the earth’s atmosphere, undergoes refraction
continuously before it reaches the earth. The
atmospheric refraction occurs in a medium of
gradually changing refractive index.
Since the stars are very distant, they approximate
point-sized sources of light. As the path of rays of
The interplay of light with objects around us gives
light coming from the star goes on varying rise to several spectacular phenomena in nature.
slightly, the apparent position of the star The blue colour of the sky, colour of water in
fluctuates and the amount of starlight entering the deep sea, the reddening of the sun at sunrise and
eye flickers – the star sometimes appears brighter, the sunset are some of the wonderful phenomena
we are familiar with. The path of a beam of light
and at some other time, fainter, which is the
passing through a true solution is not visible.
twinkling effect. However, its path becomes visible through a
colloidal solution where the size of the particles is
(b) Why don’t the planets twinkle? relatively larger.
The planets are much closer to the earth, and are
(a) Tyndall effect
thus seen as extended sources. If we consider a
The earth’s atmosphere is a heterogeneous
planet as a collection of a large number of point-
mixture of minute particles. These particles
sized sources of light, the total variation in the
include smoke, tiny water droplets, suspended
amount of light entering our eye from all the
particles of dust and molecules of air. When a
individual point-sized sources will average out to
beam of light strikes such fine particles, the path
zero, thereby nullifying the twinkling effect.
of the beam becomes visible. The light reaches us,
after being reflected diffusely by these particles.
(C) ADVANCE SUNRISE AND DELAYED SUNSET :
The phenomenon of scattering of light by the
Advance sunrise and delayed sunset The Sun is
visible to us about 2 minutes before the actual colloidal particles gives rise to Tyndall effect.
sunrise, and about 2 minutes after the actual This phenomenon is seen when a fine beam of
sunset because of atmospheric refraction. By sunlight enters a smoke-filled room through a
actual sunrise, we mean the actual crossing of the small hole. Thus, scattering of light makes the
horizon by the Sun. figure shows the actual and
particles visible. Tyndall effect can also be
apparent positions of the Sun with respect to the
horizon. The time difference between actual observed when sunlight passes through a canopy
sunset and the apparent sunset is about 2 minutes. of a dense forest. Here, tiny water droplets in the
The apparent flattening of the Sun’s disc at mist scatter light. The colour of the scattered light
sunrise and sunset is also due to the same depends on the size of the scattering particles.
phenomenon.
Very fine particles scatter mainly blue light while
particles of larger size scatter light of longer
wavelengths. If the size of the scattering particles
is large enough, then, the scattered light may even
appear white.
(b)Why is the colour of the clear sky blue :
The molecules of air and other fine particles in the
atmosphere have size smaller than the wavelength
of visible light. These are more effective in
scattering light of shorter wavelengths at the blue
end than light of longer wavelengths at the red
end. The red light has a wavelength about 1.8
times greater than blue light. Thus, when sunlight
passes through the atmosphere, the fine particles
in air scatter the blue colour (shorter wavelengths)
more strongly than red. The scattered blue light
enters our eyes. If the earth had no atmosphere, Fig. Mirage in hot desert–Inverted image of
there would not have been any scattering. Then, tree in hot sand
the sky would have looked dark. The sky appears
 Explanation : It is due to total internal
dark to passengers flying at very high altitudes, as reflection. At summer noon, in desert, sand
scattering is not prominent at such heights. You becomes hot. The air in its contact becomes
might have observed that ‘danger’ signal lights very hot and hence rarer. As we move up, air
are red in colour. Do you know why? The red is becomes less and less hot, hence less and less
least scattered by fog or smoke. Therefore, it can rarer. The air can be divided into layers of
be seen in the same colour at a distance. different optical density (fig.).
For rays (like number 1 ray), incident at small
(c) Colour of the sun at sunrise and sunset
The sky and the Sun at sunset or sunrise appears angle at upper most layer, the angle of
red. Near the horizon, most of the blue light and incidence on lowest layer may not be more than
shorter wavelengths are scattered away by the critical angle. These rays are all absorbed by
particles. Therefore, the light that reaches our sand.
eyes is of longer wavelengths. This gives rise to
The ray no. 2 starting from tree top and making a
the reddish appearance of the Sun.
bigger angle since beginning, reaches the lowest
layer at bigger angle. The angle of incidence may
become just more than the critical angle. The ray
is totally reflected upward and outward. All rays
on the right of ray no. 2 will start with still
bigger angle and will have angle of incidence
becoming more than critical angle from upper
and upper layers. They are also totally reflected.

 LOOMING OR SUPERIOR
MIRAGE
It is an optical illusion seen at sea–shore in
 MIRAGE OR INFERIOR MIRAGE winter evening, due to which an image of a
It is an optical illusion, seen in deserts at summer ship is seen formed in air in sea–sky. The
noon, due to which an inverted image of a distant actual ship is nowhere visible.
tree is seen formed in hot sand below it, as if
formed in water. Actually there is no water
anywhere.
  Explanation : It is due to total internal
reflection. In cold evening, over sea–bed sea
water becomes too cold. Air layer in its
contact is cold and denser. As we go up, air
layers become less and less colder and hence
rarer. (Fig.)
Rays from invisible ship going upward go from
denser to rarer air layers. They are totally
reflected downwards and received by an observer
Fig. Looming at cold sea–shore at sea–shore. The observer sees an image
(virtual) of the ship hanging in the sky.

EXERCISE # 1
Q.11 Why is the image formed by a pinhole
inverted ?
Q.1 What do you understand by the rectilinear
Q.12 What happens when parallel rays of light fall
propagation of light ?
on a curved reflecting surface ?
Q.2 What is the relation between the incident ray,
Q.13 Convex mirrors are used as rear view mirrors.
the reflected ray and the surface of a plane
Why ?
mirror ?
Q.14 What do you understand by the spectrum of
Q.3 Write three properties of the image formed by
white light ?
a plane mirror
Q.15 How is a rainbow formed ?
Q.4 An object is placed beyond the focus of a
concave mirror. What is the nature of the Q.16 Why does a Newton's disc appear white when
image–real or virtual erect or inverted it is rotated ?

Q.5 An object is placed beyond the focus of a

convex lens. What is the nature of the image–
real or virtual, erect or inverted ? Q.17 What are real and virtural images ? What are
the differences between them ?
Q.6 You have a concave mirror. Where will you
place an object to see an erect and magnified Q.18 What do you understand by the focus of a
image ? lens ? How will you find the focus of the
convex lens ?
Q.7 You have a convex lens. Where will you
place an object to see an erect and magnified Q.19 What is refraction ? Explain with an example.
image?

Q.8 Mention two uses of a concave mirror

Q.9 State two uses of a convex lens. Q.20 An image formed by a plane mirror.......... be
seen on a screen.
Q.10 What is white light ?
Q.21 A ....... image can be formed on a screen.

Q.22 A convex mirror is one in which the

reflecting surface bulges .......
Q.23 A magnifying glass is a .......... lens.

Q.24 Parallel rays of light after passing through

a ......... lens, they seem to come from a point.

EXERCISE # 2

Q.8 Which of the following is a natural luminous

Q.1 Which of these form virtual images only ? source of light ?
(A) Concave mirror (B) Convex mirror (A) sun (B) wood
(C) Convex lens (D) None of these (C) electric lamp (D) torch

Q.2 A drop of water on a leaf forms a magnified Q.9 Light shows -

image of the veins because of- (A) random propagation
(A) refraction (B) curvilinear propagation
(B) reflection (C) rectilinear propagation
(C) radiation (D) None of these
(D) rectilinear propagation
Q.10 Which of the following is a reflector of light ?
Q.3 If we mix lights of the colours of the rainbow,
(A) Sun (B) Star
we will get
(A) pink light (B) brown light (C) Filament (D) Moon
(C) colourless light (D) black light
Q.11 Wood is an example of-
Q.4 If you bring a faraway object towards the (A) translucent (B) Transparent
focus of convex lens, the size of the image (C) Polymer (D) Opaque
will-
(A) increase (B) decrease
(C) double (D) remain the same Q.12 If the angle of incidence is 50°, then calculate
the angle between the incident ray and the
Q.5 Which of these are due to the rectilinear reflected ray-
propagation of light ? (A) 50° (B) 80°
(A) rainbow
(C) 130° (D) 100°
(B) inverted image in a pinhole camera
(C) shadow
(D) reflection Q.13 Which of the following statement is true ?
(A) The angle of incidence is twice the angle
Q.6 Light causes the sensation of- of reflection
(A) Vision (B) The incident ray, the reflected ray and the
(B) Light
normal drawn at the same point of
(C) Both (A) and (B)
(D) None incidence lie in the same plane
(C) Some types of virtual images can be
Q.7 Light is- caught on the screen.
(A) an electromagnetic radiation (D) A plane mirror forms a real image
(B) a longitudinal wave
(C) massless
(D) all of the above
Q.14 Two plane mirrors are inclined at a angle 60°, (D) an erect, virtual image of diminished size
the number of images of an object which is
placed between mirror will be- Q.22 A reflecting surface is curved inwards. Now
(A) 4 (B) 3 the mirror formed is-
(A) concave (B) plane
(C) 5 (D) 6
(C) convex (D) none of these
Q.15 Plane mirror are arranged parallel to each
Q.23 The phenomenon of the change in the path of
other to get-
(A) A single image the light as it passes from one optical medium
(B) Two images to another is called-
(C) A large number of reflected images (A) Reflection of the light
(D) No image (B) Refraction of light
(C) Dispersion of light
Q.16 When an object is moved towards the plane (D) Both (A) and (B)
mirror-
(A) Image moves away from the object Q.24 Arrange the optical mediums in ascending
(B) Size of the image increases order according to optically denser.
(C) Image moves closer to the object (A) Air, water glass (B) Water, glass, air
(D) Size of the image decrease (C) Glass, water, air (D) Glass, air, water

Q.17 David is observing his image in a plane Q.25 We put glass piece on a printed page image of
mirror. The distance between the mirror and prints on the page has same size. The piece is-
his image is 5m. If he moves 1m towards the (A) Convex lens (B) Glass slab
mirror, then the distance between David and (C) Concave lens (D) Prism
his image will be-
(A) 3 m (B) 5 m
(C) 6 m (D) 8 m Q.26 What happens, when a ray incident at the
optical centre ?
Q.18 The rear view mirror of a car is a plane (A) It passes with deviation of 30° angle
mirror. A driver is reversing his car at a speed through the lens
of (B) It passes undeviated through the lens
2 m/s. The driver sees in his rear view mirror (C) It passes with deviation of 45° angle
the image of truck parked behind his car. The through the lens
speed at which the image of the truck appears (D) None of these
to approach the driver will be-
(A) 1 m/s (B) 2 m/s Q.27 If the lower part of a convex lens is blackened
(C) 4 m/s (D) 8 m/s then the image formed will be
(A) incomplete
Q.19 For a concave mirror when the object is (B) complete
placed between the pole and the focus then (C) of lower intensity
the image formed will be- (D) both (B) and (C)
(A) Virtual (B) Real
(C) Inverted (D) Diminished Q.28 Which of the following diagrams correctly
represent the passage of a ray of light through
Q.20 Mirror used to form magnified image is a concave lens ?
(A) Concave mirror (B) Convex mirror
(C) Plane mirror (D) None of these (A) (B)

Q.21 A convex mirror always produces-

(A) an erect, real image of diminished size
(B) an erect, real image of enlarged size
(C) a virtual, erect image of enlarged size
 (C) (D)
(A) convex lens (B) concave lens
(C) prism (D) concave mirror

Q.29 White light spectrum contains-

(A) 5 colours (B) 7 colours
(C) 6 colours (D) No colour

Q.30 The diagram below shows two incident rays P

and Q which emerge as parallel rays R and S.
The appropriate device used in the box A is-
.ANSWER KEY

EXERCISE-2