​Light

Class 8 Science Notes: Light

Introduction to Light

- Light is a form of energy that enables us to see the world around

us.
- It travels in a straight line and can be reflected, refracted, or
absorbed by different materials.

Types of Objects

1. Luminous Objects: Objects that produce their own light.

- Examples: The Sun, stars, light bulbs, candles.
2. Non-Luminous Objects: Objects that do not produce their own
light but can be seen by reflected light.
- Examples: The Moon, planets, books, and furniture.

Reflection of Light

The bouncing back of light rays when they hit a smooth surface,
such as a mirror, is called reflection
- Incident Ray: The ray of light that strikes the surface.
- Reflected Ray: The ray of light that bounces back from the
surface.
- Normal: The imaginary line perpendicular to the surface at the
point of incidence.
- Angle of Incidence: The angle between the incident ray and the
normal.
- Angle of Reflection: The angle between the reflected ray and the
normal.
Laws of Reflection:

1. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

2. The incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal all lie in the
same plane.

Types of Reflection

- Regular Reflection- Reflection from a smooth and shiny surface

like a mirror, where parallel incident rays reflect in parallel.
- A clear and sharp image is formed.
- Also called specular reflection
-
2. Diffused Reflection:
- Reflection from a rough surface, where parallel incident rays
reflect in different directions.
- No clear image is formed, but the object is visible.
- Also called irregular reflection

Plane Mirrors and Image Formation

Image Characteristics:
- Virtual: The image cannot be obtained on a screen.
- Erect: The image is upright.
- Same Size: The image is of the same size as the object.
- Laterally Inverted: The left and right sides of the image are
reversed.
- Same Distance: The image is as far behind the mirror as the
object is in front.

Lateral Inversion:

The phenomenon where the left side of an object appears as the

right side in the mirror image and vice versa.
Applications of Plane Mirrors

1. Periscope:
- An optical device that uses two mirrors placed at an angle to each
other to allow people to see over or around obstacles.
- Uses: Submarines, tanks etc.
2. Kaleidoscope:
- A tube-like optical instrument that creates colorful patterns by
multiple reflections of light using mirrors.
- Uses: For decorative purposes and in pattern design.

Reflected light can be reflected again

Multiple reflections can be obtained by placing more than one

mirrors at certain angles to each other which results in reflection
of light for multiple times between the reflecting surfaces.
Used in :
• In a Periscope to see hidden objects
• In a kaleidoscope to see beautiful pattern
• In a barbershop to see the back of the head of a person getting a
haircut

Dispersion of Light :

The splitting of white light into its component colors when it passes
through a prism is called dispersion.
- VIBGYOR: The sequence of colors formed by the dispersion of
white light: Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.
• This arrangement of seven colours of a white light is called as
Spectrum.
- Example: The formation of a rainbow, Soap bubbles, Surface of a
CD, Prisms

Sunlight: White or Colored?

Sunlight appears white but is composed of seven colors, which can
be seen when light is dispersed by a prism or water droplets.

Formation of Rainbow

A rainbow is a natural phenomenon in which the light rays of the

sun are reflected and refracted by the water droplets present in the
atmosphere.

Refraction

Refraction of Light: When a ray of light travels from one

transparent medium to another transparent medium, it changes its
direction of propagation. This phenomenon is called refraction of
light.

Causes of Refraction of Light :

Change in the speed of light from one medium to another is the

cause of refraction of light.
• Optically rarer medium: If the speed of light in a given medium is
higher, the medium is called optically rarer medium.
• Optically denser medium: If the speed of light in a given medium
is lower, the medium is called optically denser medium.
• Speed of light in vacuum = 3 × 108 m per second

Refractive Index:

The refractive index is a fundamental property of a medium that

describes how much it bends light. It’s defined as the ratio of the
speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the medium (v).
• A higher refractive index indicates a greater bending of light.
• If the refractive index of two medium is equal then a ray of light
does not refract.
• Refractive index is denoted by μ

Relative refractive index of medium 2 with respect to medium 1

1²μ = Speed of light in medium 1/ Speed of light in medium 2 =v1/v2

The refractive index or absolute refractive index of a medium (m),
denoted by (μm) is given as follows:
μm = Speed of light in vacuum C / Speed of light in the given
medium =C/vm

Rules of refraction

1. When a ray of light travels (obliquely) from an optically rarer

medium to an optically denser medium, it bends towards the
normal.
2. When a ray of light travels (obliquely) from an optically denser
medium to an optically rarer medium, it bends away from the
normal.
Example
• A drinking straw appears bent from near the surface of water.
This happens because of refraction of light.
• A coin kept in water appears shallower than it actually is. This
also happens because of refraction of light.
• Incident Ray: The ray of light that strikes the boundary between
two different medium.
• Refracted Ray: The ray of light that bends and passes into the
second medium.
• Emergent Ray: The ray that exits the second medium after
refraction, returning to a different direction.
• Angle of Incidence : The angle between the incident ray and the
normal at the point of incidence. It is written as ∠i.
• Angle of Refraction : The angle between the refracted ray and the
normal at the point of refraction. It is written as ∠r.

• Lens:

A lens is a portion of a transparent refracting medium which is

bound by two surfaces. At least one of the surfaces is spherical in a
lens.
• Applications of Lenses: In camera, microscope, telescope and
spectacles.
→ Types of Spherical Lens:

1.Convex lens – A convex lens is a lens that converges light rays,

meaning it brings them together. It’s thicker in the middle than at
the edges, causing light to bend towards the center.
Uses – Magnifying glass, Camera lenses, Eyeglasses, Microscopes,
Telescope etc.
• Double convex lens
• Plano convex
• Conversing meniscus
2. Concave lens – It’s thinner in the middle than at the edges,
causing light to bend away from the center. A concave lens is a lens
that diverges light rays.
• Double concave
• Plano concave
• Diverging meniscus
Uses – Security cameras, Microscope, VR sets (virtual reality) etc.
Here are the definitions:
1. *Centre of Curvature*: The point on the axis of a lens or mirror
where the curvature is maximum. It's the point where the axis
intersects the sphere of which the lens or mirror is a part.
2. *Radius of Curvature*: The distance between the centre of
curvature and the vertex (pole) of the lens or mirror. It's a measure
of the curvature of the lens or mirror.
3. *Principal Axis*: The line passing through the centres of
curvature of the lens or mirror surfaces.
4. *Optical Centre*: The point on the principal axis where a ray
passing through it emerges parallel to its original path. It's the
point where the lens or mirror can be rotated without changing the
path of light.
5. *Principal Focus (Focal Point)*: The point on the principal axis
where parallel rays converge (for a converging lens or mirror) or
appear to diverge (for a diverging lens or mirror).
6. *Focal Length*: The distance between the optical centre and the
principal focus. It's a measure of the lens's or mirror's ability to
converge or diverge light.
Key points:
- The radius of curvature is twice the focal length for a thin lens in
air. C= 2f
- The centre of curvature, optical center, and principal focus lie on
the principal axis.

• Three special rays for lenses

1. An incident ray, parallel to the principal axis, passes through (or

appears to come from), the (second) principal focus of the lens.
2. An incident ray, passing through the optical centre of the lens,
goes undeviated from the lens.
3. An incident ray, passing through the (first) principal focus of the
lens, or directed towards it, becomes parallel to the principal axis
after refraction from the lens.

Image formation in Convex Lens

1. Object at Infinity
The image formed at – Focus (F2)
The nature of the image formed – Real and inverted
The size of the image formed – Diminished (smaller)
2. Object beyond Curvature/2F
The image formed at – Between 2F2 and F2.
The nature of the image formed – Real and inverted
The size of the image formed – Diminished (smaller)
3. Object at Curvature /2F
The image formed at – C2 or 2F2.
The nature of the image formed – Real and inverted
The size of the image formed – Equal to the object size.
4. Object between curvature(2F) & focus(F)
The image formed – Behind the center of curvature (C2)
The nature of the image formed – Real and inverted
The size of the image formed – Enlarged
5. Object kept at Focus
The image formed at – Infinity (opposite side of the object)
The nature of the image formed – Real and inverted
The size of the image formed – Enlarged
6. Object between the optical centre and focus
The image formed – At the same side of the object behind 2F2.
The nature of the image formed – Virtual and Erect.
The size of the image formed – Enlarged

Image formation in Concave Lens

1. Object at Infinity
The image formed at – Focus (F1)
The nature of the image formed – Virtual and Erect
The size of the image formed – Highly diminished
2. Object at finite distance from lens
The image formed at – Between F1 and the optical center
The nature of the image formed – Virtual and Erect
The size of the image formed – Diminished