- g

Level-I

Chapter contents INTRODUCTION

+ You may be light-he~rted, you can mak

Introduction e light of things,
+ properties of Light bring secrets to light. You can see the
light and achieve
+ propagation of Light enlightenment. But what is light? The dicti
onary definition is
+ Reflection of Light "something that makes things visible or
affords illumination,"
► Laws of Reflection a vague and unsatisfying definition
► Reflection at Plane Surfaces I that circles around
like a dog chasing its own tail. Physicis
► Uses of Plane mirrors ts define light as
_ . electromagnetic radiation - a travelling
+ •Spherical Mirror energy wave. .
► Reflection at Spherical Mirror; Light itself is invisiple but it helps us
to see the beautiful
(Laws of Image Formatio~)
.
world around us. The bright colour of
► Image Formation by a Concav
1 flowers, butterflies,
e; feathers of a peacock, the rainbow,
Mirror. the blue colour of
.
► Image Formation by a Con
i the sky, the reddish colour of the sun
rise and sunset and
vex •
Mirror spectacular beau~ of. nature. To und
, erstand this, let us
► Sign Convention for Reflection l take a step forward by studying "Lig
ht : Reflection and
by Spherical Mirrors • ;, Refraction". The branch of physics ~hic
► Mirror Formula
h deals with the
nature of light, •its sources, propertie
► Magnification . s, effects and vision
is called optics. In this chapter, we
+ Refraction of Light shall deal with light
► Laws of Refraction
as wave and study the phenomeno
n of reflection and
► Absolute Refractive Index (n) refraction of light using straight lin~ prop
1 agation of light.
► Simple Effects of Refraction ' 1
► Refraction Through a . '
.j
Rectangular Glass Slab 1
+ Spherical Lenses
► Refraction by Spherical Lenses ;
► Different Types of Lens .
► Laws of Image Formation by
Spherical Lens . . .
► Lens Formula and Magnification ;
► Power of a Lens
+ Quick Recap
+ Assignment

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 Lig ht : Reflection and Refraction
Level-I (Fo r School / Boar
PR OP ER TIE S OF LIG HT
rt is a non-mechanical wa ve as
it doe sn' t require any medium to
travel.
Vis ible ligh t (th at ena ble s us
to see ) has a ver y sm all wavel 1

400-700 nm. ' ength. ; e . 1 • .

. .
•
• ·' it hes in the range
Speed of light in vac uum Is 299
,792,458 mis (approx. 3 x 10s
It is a transverse, electromagne
tic wave.
m/s). • ~

O'!/ fast doe s ligh t tra vel ?

)

Ab out 186,000 mil es per second . .

(300,000 km/s), so ligh ' from the .
!o trav el 93 million _mi~es (14 9 sun take~ about :
million km ) to rea?h earth. If you 8 1 -
it wo uld tak e you 171 .2 yea rs
- . to rea ch there! Lig ht can go aro
.
drive t~-the sun at ; ~~~ s
6
und the earth 7 time •
;-g
. ( Ok
~ in 1 second.

A·c ar wou ld tak e 171.2 years.

, Lig ht onl y tak es 8 minutes 20

second

Ea rth
Sun
PR OP AG AT IO N OF LIG HT
It tra vel s alo ng stra igh t line. Its
pat h cha nge s onl y wh en someth
cha nge of me diu m. Th is is cal ing comes in it~ path or yvhen ther
led rec tili nea r propagation of e is
and pas ses thr oug h ano the r ligh t. Light that originates from· a poin
poi nt Q in the sam e medium act t
stra igh t line PQ . This_ stra igh t ually passes through all the poin
line path of ligh t is called_ a ray ts on th
be am of lig ht. of light. A bundle ·of light rays is
called

p Q
(i) (ii)
Fig . (i) A ray of light, (ii) A bea
m of light

No te: A ray of ligh t is an idealisation~

In reality, we· hav e a nar row bea
ma de up of sev era l rays. Fo r m of light which -
simplicity, we use the term ray
for a '!arro.w bea
light.
,
RE FL EC TIO N OF LIG HT
.
Re flec tion .is def ine d as the bou • • . . •
_ -
nci ng bac k of light ray~ into • • d" m when these rays strikes
• on a sur fac e or on a bou nda the same me _iu .
ry sep ara ting two media. .
. r •
Wh en ligh t fro m the sun and otti . . • •.
er sources hke bulb, tube hgh . t II the surface of objects hke ~a
of ou r hou se" boo k, tab le, bla t etc;;. a ~ on b d transmitted o
ck board, gla ss sheet, mirror, tree
e_tc., it ma y ~e ~bsor e '
ref lec ted dep end ing upo n nat .• :
ure of the medium. _·
8.g. A bla ck boa rd app ear s bla ck because mo _ .
st of ligh t incident on it is ab-~o~b
ed by i l . . ~
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'
.
An object that allows light to pass through it is called transparent medium. .
e.g. Ordinary glass sheet transmits most of light falling on it so it appears tran.sparent.
But s~me surf~ces reflect most of the light f~lling on them and are called refle~ting surfaces. .. . I

e.g. A polished silver mirror reflects light falling on it. .

An obje9t that does not allo_w light to pass through it is known ~s opaque m~dium e.g., stone,
sheets etc. metal

nature of ligh! ca~ b_e understand tiy •the fact th~t a s~all ~urce of light cast& a liharf1
n opaque obJect ~~d1cates that light travels in. straight line, if a~ opaque object on the path
very small, hght has.a tend~ncy to. bend ar~u~d .it and not to walk in a straight line.
;properties of a wave, we can talk about its wavelength and frequency. The light that our
,-.Th~. visi~le spectrum i~ ~ narrow band of wavelengths· in thtt electromagnetic speetrum,-
udes ra~1owaves, X-rays, ultraviolE;lt light and _infrared. radiation. •But the wave th80ry
mes madequate for treatment of the interaction of light with matter, and light often.
what like a stream of particles. This confusion about th~ nature of light (wave or stream
tinued for some years till a modem quantum theory of ·light emerged, The new theory
"de properties of-light with the wave nature. ' 1 4 •

Some Important De~nitions ·

•

❖
• • t I ~

Incident. Ray : The ray of light which strikes any .surface is called incident ray. --
.
❖ •• • Poin_t of incidence : It is the point at which incident ray falls on the· reflecting
surface.
❖ Reflected ray : The ray of light which is bounced back by any reflecting surface is called reflected
ray. .
.

❖ Normal : It is line drawn perpendicular to the reflecting surface at the point of inc!dence.
•••• Angle of incidence : Angle made· by inciden~ ray with the normal at the point of incidence. It is
represented by i.
••••• •Angle of reflection ~ Angle ma~e by reflected ray with_ the normal at the point of !ncidence. It is
represented by r. • , .
❖ . Object : Anything which gives out light either by itself or after reflection
from it is said to be an
object. For example: a candle, tube ligh~, sun, moon, table., chair ~tc. .
•••• Point object : A very small object like pin head is a point object and is represented by a dot (.). •
•••• Extended object : Large objects like· car, bus, ~andle ·etc. are called extended objects and are
represen. ted by an arrow (t). . •
Image: There are two types of images ,viz. real image an~ virtual image.
•••• Real image· is an image formed by the actual intersection of. light.. rays. It can be ·obtained
o~ the
~ screen.
e.g. - The image formed on_ cinema scr~en i.e., the image formed by a projector. •
❖ Virtual image : If the rays of light responsible for an imag~ formation do not
intersect actu_ally but
.. appears to meet at some p~int, then tt.te image is called a virtual image. It c~nnot be obtam~d
on
the screen.
e.g. -: .The image formed by a plane· mir_ror of a real object is virtual.
❖ Plane ~lrror : A plane glass sheet having· a thkl layer of silver metal deposited on one side.
which
is· protected by a coat of red paint. The light is reflected from silvered surface of the plan~ mirror.
A
plane mirror and its schematic representation are. shown in the following figur.e. -~
. .
•
~....... ,..." ... ~ - - - - , , ,. . . . ~ o # • · ~ , . , . . . .,.~,,,_ ... ....,....-~~.,,,.,,.. _ _,, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -,-~1
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- - - . - . - - _ _ ... _.--_...-.>,.,,. _ _ .
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 Light : Reffectlon and Refraction Level-I (For Sc

Reflecting surface----~
+- Polished surface •

M2

Schematic representation of plane mirror.

"Good morning, and welcome to The Wond~rs of Physics•

L~ws of Reflection-
. .

Consider a ray of incident on- a plane

l i g h t

at an angle i with
m i r r o r
n o r m a l T h • •

angle r with the normal, as shown in figure. Following are the two laws of r~fle~;:: gets refl~ecl
I

Normal l

Point of inci
M----... ..,;;:;~......_............_....... M'
• • Boundary
(i) The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal at the point of in~idence, ail lie ·in the same
(ii) The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. That is Li= Lr.
'
These laws of reflectio~ are applicable to all types of reflecting surfaces incl~dlng sp
surfaces. • •
Whenever a parallel beam of fight falls. on a reflecting surface, a part of it is reflected fro~ ~e
• • • f th suuate.
of the medium .. However the direction of the reflected rays depends upon nature o e
basis of reflecting surface there are two kinds of reflections : ·
(i) . Regular reflection : When all parallel rays of light reflected from a smooth surfa~ ( •
p l a n e

are parallel, the r~flection is known as regular reflection. It helps in the formation of image
we can see our face in a mirror.

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Light : Reflection and Refraction

Regular reflection
(ii) Diffused or Irregular reflection : When all the parallel rays
reflected from a rough or uneven
surface are not parallel, the reflection is known as diffused or irregula
r reflection.

Irregular reflection
Diffused reflection does not give rise to image formation. It takes place
from walls, stones, trees etc.
It helps to-spread light over a vast area and hence helps in general illumina
tion. We can say that,
non-luminous objects become visible due to irregular reflection of light.
Diffused reflection is not due to the failure of laws of reflection but
due to irregularities in the
reflecting surface.

To further strengthen the concept of "Laws of Reflection", do

check out this
interesting activity video. To watch the video, scan the given QR co~e.

Reflection at Plane Surfaces

In .case of reflection at plane surface such as plane mirror :

1. The image formed by a plane mirror is always erect, virtual, of same
size and is at the same
distance behind the mirror as the object is in front of it. The figure given
below shows the formation
of image (A'B') of an object AB by a plane mirror M M •
1 2
M1

AB ---+ Object
A'B'.---+ Image

.. Mirror
M2

2. Image formed by a plane mirror is the front back reversal of the object
i.e., left handed objects look
like right handed objects and vice versa in their image. It is called lateral
inversion. It is shown in
the figure given below.

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·FAX XA,
3. Though every part of a mirror fonns a complete image of an object, we usually see oni
it from which light after reflection from mirror reaches our eye. Ythat ~,

Uses of Plaoe Mirrors

Plane mirrors are commonly used
1. By barbers to show the customer the backside of his head.
2. • As reflector in a solar cooker.
3. By the opticians to provide false dimension, when their place of work is very small.
4. For providing false dimensio_n in show cases, di_~playing jewellery, wrist watches etc.
5. For making kaleidoscope, periscope etc.
6. For signalling by the scouts and the army per:sonnel.

Example 1 : A plane mirror is inclined at an angl~ fJ with horizon_tal as show_n in_ figure. If a ray incident f1t
10° above horizontal becomes vert,cal after reflect,on from this m,rror, then find 8.

Solution : ·According to laws of reflection,

Li= Lr
From the figure,

(90° - 8) + 10° = 8
⇒ 28 = 100°
⇒ 8 = 50°

Yourself
•
1. The laws of reflection· are appHcable fo
..........-..r~
( 1)Regular reflection
(3) Both (1) & (2)
Le\;el-1 (For School / Board Exa
minations) -Light : Reflection and Refraction
• 2. Consider the figure shown.·
The reflected ray ls perpend
incidence for the ray is icular to the incident ray. An
gle of
• (1) 30° • , I
I

(2> 45° I
~-~ I
(4) 75° I
3. Two plane mirrors are _placed
parallel to each other as shown L

placed between the mirrors, at in the figure. There is an objec

10 cm from mirror M . What are t0
formed by M2 from M ? 2 the distances of first two images
2
M,

' '
20cm
(1) 5 cm, 30 cm
(3) 10 cm, 30 cm (2) 10 cni, 10 cm.
(4) 10 cm, 20 cm

'
If it wasn't for Thomas Alva
Edison, we'd all be watching '
TV to the light of a candl~.
SPHERICAL MIRROR
It is simply a piece cut out
of a ~lass sphere whose eith
surface of a spherical mirror er of the side is made reflect
may be inwards or outwards ing. The reflecting
. •
Concave mirror : A spherical
mirror whose reflecting surfac
of the sphere is called concav e is curved inwards, facing tow
e mirror. It is represente~ by ards the centre
the following figure.
,r - Polished •
Reflecting
surface
surface . ' .

Convex mirror: A spherical

mirror whose reflecting surfac
the centre of the sphere is cal e is bulging (or curved) outwa
led convex mirror. rds, opposite to •
•
Reflecting_. .-Polished
surface surface

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Opaque
~
Convex mirror

Opaque

Concave mirror

A spherical mirror can be thought of as being made of a portion cut off from a holl~w glass s h
• . P ere
Consider the following important terms regarding spherical mirrors :
. .
Centre of Curvatur~ (C) : _It is the centre ~f hollow sphere of glass, of which the sphertcai Ill'
part. • -~
Radius of Curvature (R) : It is the radius of hollow sphere of glass, of which the spherical mirror
. - ISa~
Pole (P) : It is the geometric centre of the reflecting surface of the spherical mirror.
Principal Axis : It is the line joining the centre of curvature and the pole of the mirror.

,•
,
...~••••••••••
. ' M Principal
axis
,,
,,
•• C F
'

~R-+t 1+-R--+f
Concave Mirror_ Convex Mirror
Aperture (d) : It is the effective diameter of the light refl~cting area of the mirror. lotensily <f
formed by a spherical mirror is proportional to the area of its aperture.
M M

l
d
-ld

l l
rrd2
/cx 4

⇒ I~ d~
⇒ I oc (aperture)2
8
Principal Focus (F) : If rays close and parallel to the principal axis are incid~nt Thon.
then after reflection they pass or seem to come from a point on the principal axis. IS
the principal focus.
.
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 ,r~S~ch~o~ol~/~B~oa~rd~Ex=a~m~in=a~tio~n=s)~----------~Li~gh
vel-1 (F~ ~t~:~R=efl~e~ct~io~n_a_nd_R_ef_ra_c_tio_n,
;.:-- --"

,,/F C
,,,
,,,,'

focal Length : It is the diStance from the pole (P) of

the mirror to the principal focus (F) of the mirror.
Focal length of a spherical mirror is half of the radius
of curvature of the mirror i.e., f = ~ and it is
independent of the nature of medium in which the mirro
r is placed.

Note: Laws of reflection also hold for curved reflecting surfaces.

Convex surface Concave surface

Li=L r Li= Lr

Reflection at- Spherical Mirror (Laws of Image Form

ation)
In case of reflection at spherical surfaces such as spher
ical mirrors (concave mirror and convex mirror) :
1. A ray initially parallel to principal axis and close
to it, after reflection, passes or appears to pass
through the principal focus.

(from law of reflection i.e., Li= Lr and by definition of

focus)

_ _.,._ _--,K~ ,.,, Normal

...•• ••

p
C

Concave mirror Convex mirror

2. A ray initially passing or appearing to pass through the
principal focus, after reflection, becomes
parallel to the principal axis (by the principle of reversibility
i.e., after any number of reflections if the
direction of light ray is reversed, it retraces its whole path)
.

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p
F C

Concave mirror Convex mirror

3. A ray initially passing or appearing to pass throu
gh the centre of curvature, after reflection, retra
its path. ~

Concave mirror Convex mirror

Image Formation by a Concave Mirror
Following figures show image formation by a conc
~ve mirror for the different positions of an object.
intersection of at least two reflected rays gives The
the position of image of the object.
M A' M
A ~~
. -
.
:h'
pB'

'j\t
M1 ~ infinity
t+U-+I
~1• --R -I
1+-- f-+1

(1) (2)
M

(3)
M M

p
p p
C F
From
infinity
M1
(5) (6a) (6b)

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(For School -=:..
~~= :.--- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----. .:.~
~ollowi ng table summarises the nature of image formed for different cases shown in the figures here :

s.No. I Position of object I Position of image I Size of image I Nature of image

1 Between pole P and focus F Behind the mirror Enlarged Virtual and erect
- 2 At focus F At infinity Hig~ly enlarged Real and ,inverted
- Between F and centre of Beyond C Enlarged Real and inverted
3 curvature C
'
AtC
- ...Same size as Object Real and inverted
--
i---

4 AtC -
Between F and C Diminished
5 Beyond C
At
- -
infinity - Incident rays AtF
- sized
- Point I Real and inverted
Real and inverted
6(a) parallel to principal axis.
...- At infinity - Incident rays not At F Highly diminished Real and inverted
6(b) parallel to principal axis.
-
Note: Concave mirror can form either real or virtual image depending on where the object
is placed.

. Formation by a Convex Mirror

Image
Following figures show image formation by a convex mirror for different positions of an object.
G

...
h ··•. •• A'
.
• -h~:,.... . . C
B

t+---U--
M,
From
infinity

(1) (2)

Following table summarises the nature of image formed for different cases shown in the figures here :
S.No. j Position of object.-· .1 • Pos.ition- of in,age
·,':,··,Jr;\size ·of image I Nature of image ·,
e
Anywhere betwee~ eh i n d the m i r r or Diminished Virtual and erect
1 infinity and the pole P of between P and F
the mirror ..
At infinity Behind the mirror at Highly diminished Virtual and erect
2 focus F' • ..,

Note : Convex mirror forms only virtuJJ Lihage of real object.

Sign Convention for Reflection by Spherical Mirrors

_.___ ___,..______ x
B C F P

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i- '.:Z/j@Light: Reflection and Refraction

Level-I (For School/ Board Exanr
1. The object (as the object AB in the figure) is always
placed to the left of them · . inas
that the light from the object falls on the mirror from the
left of the mirror. irror Which illl~
2. All the distances parallel to the principal axis are meas
ured from the pole.
3. The distances measured along the direction of incident
rays are taken as positi~ ,
~
to the direction of incident rays are taken as negative, nd th
. . as shown in the figures a at op~
4. g~n~~-~
All the distances m_ea~ured ~erpend1cular to and above
the principal axis are taken a .: ,
those below the principal axis are taken negative, as
shown in the figure below. s Positive,-.
light +ve +ve
►
light
►

-ve p +ve -ve +ve

Mirror Mirror
-ve -ve
5. Focal length of a concave mirror is taken as negat
positive. ive, while for a convex mirror • .
. it 1s taken a.
Mirror Formula
The distance of the object from the pole of a spherical
mirror is called the object distance (u) and the distance
of the image from the pole of the mirror is called the
image distance (v).
The relationship between object distance (u), image
distance (v) and focal length (f) is known as mirro
r
formula.

lt=~+½I
This formula is called mirror formula, and is applicable
for both concave and convex mirrors.

Magnification
Magnification (m) of a spherical mirror is defined as the
ratio of the height of the Image to the ~
the object. Its magnitude indicates how many times
t_he size of the Image Is as compared to that of
object and its sign indicates whether it is erect or invert
ed. Positive sign Indicates an erect Image
negative sign indicates an inverted image.
---------------
m=
heIght of the Image h' v
= - =--

Important point s about· Spherical Mirrors

You should re,nember the f9ilowlng lmPOrtant Pjlnts while dealin
g wtth the spherical mirrors.
- (I) As an ob.Jed •ihek1 In frol)t of• spherl~i m1rror,1he dl•tan
ce of the ~IQ t ('6) ls a1WaYS
in) The real Image Jf1ormed lo fre>n\ o.Utlf~O .tw dl1tanoe (v) le taken
"negative.
i} lJb t~ liPf(ie II fonllld 11t the bilclk J ~• mlrtQr. SO Ill dletenot M1'
• • '8 poslOW,
d ,ono.ave mJ.rror J1 oon1ldtred •• n191t1v1,
 vel-1 (For School / Board Examinations) Light : Reflection and Refraction. . .

(v) Focal length of convex mirror is considered as positive.

(vi) When image formed is virtual and erect, magnification is positive.
(vii) When image formed is real and inverted, magnification is negative.
(viii) The height of the object is· taken to be positive as the object is usually
placed above the principal
axis.

(ix) The height of the image should be taken as positive for virtual images while,
it is taken as negative
for real images.

Uses of Spherical Mirrors

Concave mirror is used : •

(i) As a reflector in search lights, head lights of motor vehicles to get powerfu
l parallel beams of light.
It is also used in telescope, solar cookers etc.

(ii) In ophthalmoscope for reflecting light on to the retina of the eye.

(iii) As a shaving mirror, make-up mirror as it can form erect and magnified
image.
(iv) By dentists to see large images of the teeth of patients.
Convex mirror is used :

As rear-view mirror in automobiles (like cars, trucks and buses) to see the
traffic at the back side. Such
a mirror is preferred because it has a much wider field of view as compar
ed !o plane mirror or a concave
mirror and always produces an erect image.

Example 2 : The focal length of a concave mirror is 30 cm. Find position of an

object in front of the mirror,
so that its real image is three times the size of the object.

Solution : For real image

m = - ~ = -3 (given)

or v = 3u

So, from mirror formula,

.1+.1-
V U-f
.1

or iu + ~= -1o (as focal length for concave mirror is -ve)

so u =-40 cm

i.e., object must be at a distance of 40 cm in front of the mirror.

Note: Observe that u = 40 cm, this implies that the object is between F and C as f = 30
cm.
So, from our knowledge of 6 cases of concave mirror, we know that when an object is
.

placed between F and C, a real ·and inverted enlarged i"':age is form_ed. This agrees
with the given data, so we know our answer is correct. ••
. .
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~~;;;;jp1e~~
,:, Rndthepo;i;:
Example 3 : Find the position and nature of therth~~;;~~~~;
;;;;;;-;;-,~;,;~ image of an object of h • ht 3 =:;=====am ina
;-;::,:;::::;:-~~
a convex mirror of focal length 15 cm. e,g cm, when placed 60 crn

Solution : Here u = - 60 cm
V =?

f = +15 cm
So, from mirror formula,

.1+.1=.1
V U f
.1+_1__ 1
⇒ V -60 - +15
1 1
⇒ v1 -_ 60 + 15 ⇒ v = + 12 cm

and m = _y = _-1.L - .1
u -60 - 5

size of image 1
so . =m=-
size of object 5

or size •
•• of image= -3cm
5-
= 0.6cm

•
i.e., virtual and erect image of size 0.6 cm will be iormed at a distance of 12 cm behind
mirror.

Example 4 : An image Y ~s formed of a point object X by a mirror whose principal axis is AB as shown
0 raw a ray diagram to locate the mirror and its focus .
•x

A B

•Y
Solution :
Steps : . ' •
(i) From Y drop a perpendicular on the principal axis AB, such
that YI= IN.
(ii) Draw a line joining points N and X so that it meets the
A p
principal axis AB at P. The point P will be the pole of the
mirror.
(iii) As the image Y of object X is real, inverted and enlarged,
the mirror must be concave.
(iv) Join YX and extend it towards the mirror. It represents a light ray which after striking the mirror
reflected along the same path. Therefore the point C where YX intersect the axis AB, is the cen8
of curvature of the mirror. Taking C as centre and CP as radius, draw the arc of the circle. This
represents the concave mirror. •
· (v) The midpoint of CP Is the focus F, since 2f = R. •
 el-I (For School/ Board Examinations) Light : Reflection and Refraction

Yourself
4. An object is placed at a distance 2f from the pole
of a convex mirror of focal length f. The
magnification is
1
(1) 3 2
(2) 3
3
(3)
4 (4) 1
5. A concave mirror of focal length 20 cm produces
an image twice the height of the object. If the
image is real, then the distance of the object from
the mirror is
(1) 20 cm
(2) 60 cm
(3) 10 cm
(4) 30 cm
6. If the image of an object formed by a concave mirro
r is inverted and smaller than the object, then
(1) u < 2f
(2) u > 2f
(3) u c. 2f
(4) u = 2f
7. A concave mirror of focal length 18 cm forms an erect
image, three times the size of the object.
How far is the object from the mirror?
(1) 36 cm (2) 18 cm
(3) 15 cm (4) 12 cm
8. A point objec t is placed at a distance of 30
cm from a convex mirror of focal lengt h
30 cm. The image will be formed at
(1) Pole
(2) Infinity
(3) 15 cm behind the mirror
(4) 15 cm in front of the mirror
[(£)8 '(v)L 1(z)9 '(v)s ·(~)v :·suv]

REFRACTION OF LIGHT

1. Refraction is the phenomenon in which direction

of propagation of light changes (as shown in the
figure) when it passes from one transparent mediu
m to another. This is because, the speed of light
is different in different media.

Normal

Medium 1
Boundary Medium 2
(Interface of medium 1
••
and medium 2) ••
I
•
\
I \
I \
I •
I \
I \
:
I
~\
~ \
I 0-

2. Optically rarer medium is that medium in which speed

of light is more.
3. Optically denser medium is that medium in which speed
of light is less.

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11:41~58._ _ _ __
 -LLi,~gh~t~:,:R:e,:fle::cr::t,.;i~o;:n.:..;:a_:;n_d~-~R-;;;e:f~ra~ci;tiffio=-;,n~:,;=;;=;~~~~~~:;-~:,-~~~~=;;~~~~-;;;~~-L;e~v:e_l:-..:..1~(:;F~o:.:.r~S:c;h;-:o~o::l:/;B.:o_a~r::d:E:~
xarn1na
•
Note : Greater the difference In speed of light in two media, greater wl// be th b .
refracted light. e end,ng

Laws of Refraction
Following are the two laws of refraction :

1. The incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal at the point of incidence all . .
. . . . , 1ie in the same
Pl '
2. The ratio of sine of angle of incidence to sine of angle of refraction is a con t
. . . . . s ant, for the II ht
given colour and given pair of media. This Is known as Snell's law of refract· g
. . io~. If/ Is the a
incidence and r is the angle of refraction, then n
.
s_in i = constant = n21
sin r
Normal

Air (Medium 1)
-----..r- ----
G Iass (Medium 2)

This constant value n 21 is the optical property of the two medfa and Is called refractive Inda
medium 2 with respect to medium 1. If the first medium is air, then n Is called absolute refractive
21
or simply refractive index of medium 2. It is then simply denoted as n.

Absolute Refractive Index (n) I

Let us discuss more about refractive index of a medium.

1. It is defined as the ratio of speed of light In air or vacuum to the speed of light Ira the meaum;
•
2. = f>..o (here f = frequency and A0 = wavelength of llght In free ~
As for light in free space_ c
in a medium v = n.. (here f: frequency and ~ = wavelenettt of the HQht In fflEldlum) so
. .
fl_.evel-I (For School I Board Examinations) Light : Reflection and Refraction

Table : Absolute Refractive Indices of some material media

Material Medium I Refractive index (n) I Material Medium •I Refractive index (n)
Air 1.0003 Rock salt 1.54
Water 1.33 Dense flint glass 1.65
Ice 1.31 Ruby 1.71
Alcohol 1.36 Diamond 2.42
Kerosene 1.44
Fused Quartz 1.46
Crown glass 1.52

Note: An optically denser medium may not possess greater mass density. For example
kerosene having higher refractive index is optically denser than water though it floats
on water.

Example 5 : The refractive index of glass is 1. 5. Find speed of light in the glass.
Solution : As we know

n=.f...
V

or 1.5 = 3 x ~ os

so v = 2 x 108 m/s

Refractive index of one medium w.r. t. other (Relative Refractive Index)

Consider a ray of light travelling from medium 1 into medium 2, as shown in the given figure. If v is the
1
speed of light in medium 1 and v2 is the speed of light in medium 2, then the refractive index of medium
2 with respect to medium 1 (n21 ) is given by

(Medium 1)
(Medium 2)

Speed of light in medium 1 ( v1)

n21 =------- '=------ -- ... (i)
Speed of light in medium 2 (v2)
And the refractive index of medium 1 with respect to medium 2 (n 12 ) is given by

Speed
n12 - - - ' - -of-light in medium
- - - " ~ - - -2-(v2)
-- ... (ii)
- Speed of light in medium 1 ( V1)

It is clear from equations (i) and (ii), we have

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~ ~ L i g h t : Reflection and Refraction
c, - - - - - , . Level-I (For School / Board.Ex .
. am1na
If medium 1 is air or vacuum, and medium 2 is glass, then refracti
ve index of glass w; t . (
absolu te refractive index of glass.
• • • air nga) is

/nga = n!-;/
e.g. Refrac tive index of glass w.r.t. air is 1.5, then refract ive inde~
of air t . . •
1 1 w.r•. glass is given b
⇒ nag = - = - = 0.66 Yn.,-
nga 1. 5

Example 6 : The r~fractive index of diamond is 2.42 and that of glass is

travel m glass than in diamond? 1 52
• • How much faster does
Soluti on : We have I n =.£
V

where c ➔ Speed of light in air or vacuum.

v ➔ Speed of light in medium.
Refractive index of diamond, n1 = 2 ..42, Refractive index of la -
speeds of light in diamond and glass respectively. g ss, 1.52. v1 and
n2 - v2 are the
Then,
C
n1 - V1 - V2
n2 -C- v
1
V2

V2 _ 2.42
or v; - 1.52 = 1.59 ~ 1.6
Thus, v2 = 1.6 times the speed of light in diamond.

Note: The absolu te refractive· index of any medium can never be smaller tlian
n < 1, then .£ < 1 and hence c becomes less than v, which Is not possllj

Condi tions for no bendi ng

1. If light is incide nt normally on a boundary (Li = 0).

n1 Medium 1
From Snell's law
. .
• •_ sin0° _ Medium2
Sin/ n ⇒ .=..:.:,.:...=..- _ n2
_
sin r - 21 sin r n1
⇒ n1sin 0° = n2 sin r
or sin r = O or Lr = 0°
So, light ray in the second medium will pass undevi~ted at the boundary.

2. If the refractive indices of two media are equal (n1 = n2),

 : Level-I (For School/ Board Examinations) Light : Reflection and Refraction

From Snell's law,

n1sin i = n2 sin r
or nsin i = nsin r
or Li= Lr
So, light ray in the second medium will pass undeviated at the boundary.

Bending of light ray

According to Snell's law
_ sini
n21 - sin r
n2 _ sini
n;- sinr
n1sin i = n2sin r
Case 1 : If light passes from ·rarer to denser medium (i.e., air to water or air to glass) then

. . n
s_in 1 = --1.. > 1 (as n2 > n,)
.smr n1
so, sini > sinr I

or (Lt) > (Lr)

So light ray bends towards the normal.
Case 2 : If light passes from denser to rarer medium. (i.e, from water to air or glass to air) then

1
1
I
f
.. n
S!n I = --1.. < 1
i smr n1
i So sin i < sin r

l
·1
or (Lt) < (Lr}
So, light ray bends away from the no~mal.
l·-----------------------------
Example 7: Refractive index of water and glass are ~ and ~ w.r.t. air or vacuum respectively. Find the •
refractive index of glass w.r.t. water.
3 4 •
Solution : Given that n98 = 2 = 1.5, nwa = 3 = 1.33

- nga - 1.5 - 1 13
⇒ nw---133-
9 nwa • ·•
tf: :'.:,;}{,tJ Light : Reflection and Refraction Level-I (For School / Board Ex

Try Yourself
9. On entering in an optically rarer medium from an optically denser medium
(1) Speed of light increases (2) Speed of light decreases
(3)Frequency of light increases (4) Wavelength of light decrieas~
1O. When light travels obliquely from glass to air
(1) It proceeds undeviated
(2) It bends towards the normal at the point of incidence
(3) It bends away from the normal at the point of incidence
(4) It is reflected back for all angle of incidence

11. A ra~ of light of red colour travelling in air enters into wat ( _ 4 J..
remain er n - , . ~ ~ ~ -
(1) Red
(3) Yellow

12. Refractive indices of water and glass are .! and s:.,_Pletl\l:n.~ ~

. . .d 3 ~ ety.
,s me, ent on water-glass interface at 300. The sine of angle of refraction is
(1) ~- (2) : .

(3) 1~ • • . • (4) . ~
13. If the refractive indices of alcohol and benzene with respect to air are 1.36 and 1.50 resioea
then the refractive inde~ of benzene with respect to alcohol is
(1) 1.1 0 (2) 1.20
(3) 0.90 (4) 1.00
14. Which of the following rays, as shown in figure, represents the phenomenon of
correctly?
A

Glass B

(1)
(3)

Simple Effects of Refraction

(I)· A stick appears bent and short when Immersed obliquely In water.
Consider a stick AC, immersed obliquely in water, such that part AB ~f the_ stick is within water. Co"'
a point A on the tip of the stick. A beam coming from It, after refraction will bend away from the
and reaches the eyes.Thus, the rays appear to come from point A1, which is above A.

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 hool / Board Exa~inations)
Light : Reflection and Refraction
Level-I (For 5c
. for any other point between A and 8. Thus, on the whole, d h
the stick appears bent an s 0
rt.
This 1s true
er. However, it appears magnified because the image is forme
within Wat d closer to the eyes.
Eye

I
\l

!ll (") The bottom of a beaker filled with wate r appears raised
II
J
Take an empty beaker and place in it a fifty paisa coin. Cove
r the sides of the beake~ with paper and
move away from it, till the coin is just out of your line of sight.
Let somebody pour water in the beaker,
gently. It is observed that the coin becomes visible after some
time.

The reason for the above observation is that rays of light

diverging from the coin, on emerging out of
water,. suffer refraction, and hence, bend away fro~ the norma
_l. When these refracted ~ays reach the eye,
then to the eye they appear to come from point /, which is
•
I
above 0. Thus, the coin appears raised and
the bottom of the beaker appears shallow_ when filled with water
..
For the same reason, a stamp placed under a glass block appea
rs raised and a swimming pool appears
l
shallow, when filled with water.
j .
t ,
•j Refraction Through a Rectangular Glass Slab

I
I
l
Fix a white paper on a board. Place a transpare~t slab in the
middle and draw its boundary. Draw a line
i RP that meets one of the boundaries at P. Fix two pins A, B vertic
ally on this line such that the separation
between the pins is about 10 cm. Now, look at the image
of these pins from the other side of the slab
and insert a pin C such that 3 pins come in a straight line i.e.,
the images of A and B appear just behind
C. Now Insert another pi,:. O (about 1o cm from C) such that
4 pins come in straight line. Remove the
Pins and Join the points where C and D were inserted. Exten
d it to meet the boundary at Q. Join PQ. RP,
PQ and QD respectively represent the directions of the· incide
nt ray, refracted ray and the emergent ray.
'
fir Light : Reflection and Refraction Level-I (For School/ Board ExaminatioJ

_B p

-D

A B

(a)

Let us consider a ray RP travelling through air be Jncident on the upper surface of a rectangular glass
slab at point P. After refraction, it moves along PO within t~e slab. On reaching the lower surface of the
glass slab, it gets refracted again as it re-enters to air. Figure (b) shows the cross-section of the slab and
ray's path.
If refractive index of the material of the slab is n, then
s!n; = n (Applying Snell's law at interface AB)
smr
sini = nsinr ... (i)

For the surface CD, PQ is the incident ray and QS is the refracted ray. Normals to AB and CD are parallel
as AB II CD.
PQ makes an angle r with the normal at Q i.e., angle of incidence at Q = r. Let the angle of
refraction be r '.
Here, glass is the first medium and air is the second medium.
sinr 1
sinr' = n ... (ii) (Applying Snell's law at CD)

or sinr' = nsinr ... (iii)

From equations (i) and (iii), we get
sini = sinr'
i = r'
⇒ The ray QS is parallel to the ray RP.
When a light ray passes through a transparent slab with parallel faces, the ray is displaced parallel to
itself.

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 • 11 (For School/ Board Examinations)
Leve- .

Patient : I always see spots before my eyes.

Optician : Didn't the new glasses help?
Patient : Sure, now I see the spots much clearer.

-wt)en you are courting a nice gir1 an hour seems. like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a
second seems like an hour. That's relativity.• - Albert Einstein. •

SPHERICAL LENSES

~efraction by Spherical Lenses

A lens is a transparent material medium bounded by two surfaces, of which one or both surfaces are
spherical. The function of a lens is to deviate lig~t, it can either converge or diverge a parallel beam of
light. Depending upon this property, lenses may be characterised into two categories : converging lens
and diverging lens.

H-- f ----H
A'converging lens
(Convex lens)

If the spherical surfaces are bulging outwards, then the lens is called double convex lens. A double convex
lens is simply called as a convex lens. It is thicker at the middle as compared to the edges. Convex lens
converges light rays as shown in the above figure.

1+-(--.t

A diverging lens
(Concave lens)

If the spherical ·surfaces are curved inwards then the lens is called double concave lens. A double
concave lens is simply called as a concave lens. It is thicker at the edges than at the middle. Concave
lens diverges light rays as shown in the above figure.
 - - - - . _ . _
=-=-- -
c~ Li gh t : Re fle ct io n an d Re fra ct io n
__ _ _ _ _ _ ~L=e
I!_~~~~
~ve~l~-li(F~o~r~S~c~h~o~oard e
•
• . :'..'.___ _ _ _
. ; ; ; ; ~ -~;;; ;;~:.:.:..:..:.:::.::::;::::
( o 1·u
11
erent Types of Le ns

Plano-convex Convex-meniscus Bi-convex

s Pl o concave .
C on ca ve -m en is cu . an Bi-concave
.
.
m g im po rta nt te rms sh ou ld b no te d ,n case of spherical lenses .•
Fo llo w e
resen opt,·cai
.
al C en tr e : It is us ua lly re th e letter 0. A ray of light through centre pas
1. O pt ,~ P te d by
un de vi at ed .

rvature of curv
cc i r .,. h op tic al centre and centres of cu
P ri nc ip al A xi s throug
2. 1 2 s a me passing
su rf ac es .

these
ar e fa llin g on a convex lens, then
principat axis This point on princip
al axis •
he n ra ys o f lig ht parallel to the e pr in ci pa l ax is.
3. Fo cu s : W to a point on th of light para
fr ac tio n fro m th e lens, converge se of a co nc av e lens, when rays
r re In ca aring
af te
in ci pa l fo cu s o f th e convex /ens. n fro m th e le ns these rays are appe
ca lle d th e pr af te r refract io incipal focus
pr in ci pa l ax is ar e falling 9n it, then in t on th e pr in ci pal axis is called pr
to th e l axis. This po
rg e fr om a po in t on th e pr in ci pa
di ve
.
th e co nc av e lens Focal pl an e
Fo ca l pl an e I ••
•
•
••
•

2F1 F,
·--------
'
11 (
Leve-
For School/ Board Examinations) Light: Reflection and Refraction

If you pass parallel rays from the opposite surface of the lens, you get another principal focus
on the opposite side. It is usually represented by letter F. A lens has two principal foci. They are
represented by F1 and F2 •
focal plane : The plane passing through the focus of the lens and perpendicular to the principal
axis is called focal plane.
focal length f : The distance of the principal focus from the optical centre of a lens is called its
4.
focal length.
Aperture : It is the effective diameter of light transmitting area (i.e., the diameter of circular outline
5.
of a spherical l~ns). Intensity of image formed by a lens I oc (aperture)2. .

Note: In this chapter, we shall confine our discussion to thin lenses. Thin lenses are those
lerises whose aperture is much less than its radius of curvature. In other words
we may say that a thin lens is a lens in which the thickness of the lens is small as
compared to the object distance, image distance or either of the two radii of curvature
of the lens. • •

Measuring focal length of a convex lens

Take a convex lens (lens used in the spectacles of the elderly are often convex lenses). Face it towards
the sun. Take a small block and place it close to the lens such that lens is between sun and the block.
On moving the lens slowly, you will find a very small, bright image of the sun formed on the block ·at one
stage. Distance between the lens and the block is its focal length. You can'~ use this method for concave
lens as it forms a virtual image.

----- 0 --
• \~
• / ~ -~--7 ....
"\. ,, .
••• •~ ' A

"'-_.1\
~,.
• -~
•. -
~• .. \ ~
-~
<
..
•

, ' ,

~aws of Image Formation by Spherical Lens

Graphically we can locate the position of image for a given object by drawing any two of the following
three rays. • _ _ .
1. A ray, initially parallel to the principal axis of a lens, will pass or appear to pass through principal
1
focus after passing through the lens. • - •
i
f
f
J

I
F,

Corporate O_fflce_; f\aka"htfflr, t ..lJ,.,..M • •

r