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Light reflection and Reflection

The document discusses various optical phenomena related to light reflection and refraction, including the visibility of a submerged coin, the effect of covering part of a lens on image formation, and the apparent bending of a stick in water. It also explores the conditions under which a convex lens can form real and virtual images simultaneously, as well as the equivalent focal length of a combination of lenses and how their separation affects their power. Ray diagrams are suggested for illustration and explanation of these concepts.

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Amit Saxena
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11 views4 pages

Light reflection and Reflection

The document discusses various optical phenomena related to light reflection and refraction, including the visibility of a submerged coin, the effect of covering part of a lens on image formation, and the apparent bending of a stick in water. It also explores the conditions under which a convex lens can form real and virtual images simultaneously, as well as the equivalent focal length of a combination of lenses and how their separation affects their power. Ray diagrams are suggested for illustration and explanation of these concepts.

Uploaded by

Amit Saxena
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Light reflection and Reflection – Difficult questions

1. A coin is placed at the bottom of a beaker. When water is poured into the beaker
to a certain height, the coin appears to be raised and is visible to an observer
looking vertically down. However, if more water is added beyond a specific
height, the coin disappears from view. Explain this phenomenon with the help of
ray diagrams, considering the critical angle and total internal reflection.
2. A candle is placed at a certain distance in front of a convex lens. A real and
inverted image is formed on a screen. If the lower half of the lens is now covered
with an opaque material, how will this affect the image formed on the screen?
Will the complete image still be formed? What changes will be observed in the
characteristics (brightness, intensity) of the image? Justify your answer with ray
diagrams.
3. A straight stick appears bent when partially immersed in water.
o (a) Explain why this happens, drawing a ray diagram to illustrate the
refraction of light.
o (b) Does the stick appear to bend towards the water surface or away from
it? Explain your reasoning.
o (c) How would the apparent bending change if the liquid used were denser
than water (e.g., glycerine)? Explain.
4. Can a convex lens simultaneously form a real image of one object and a virtual
image of another object placed at different positions on its principal axis? Explain
your answer with the help of ray diagrams and the lens formula. Consider the
conditions required for the formation of real and virtual images by a convex lens.
5. Two lenses, one convex with focal length f1 and another concave with focal
length f2, are placed in contact.
o (a) Derive an expression for the equivalent focal length of this combination.
o (b) If the numerical value of f1 is less than the numerical value of f2, will
the combination behave as a converging or a diverging lens? Explain.
o (c) What happens to the power of the combination if the distance between
the two lenses is increased slightly?

Answers:
1. The Case of the Disappearing Coin:
(a) Explanation:
 Initially, when water is poured to a certain height, light rays from the coin travel
upwards and refract away from the normal at the water-air interface. These
refracted rays reach the observer's eyes, making the coin visible (though
appearing raised due to refraction).
 As more water is added, the angle of incidence of the light rays from the coin at
the water-air interface increases.
 When the angle of incidence becomes greater than the critical angle for the
water-air interface, total internal reflection occurs. Instead of refracting into the
air, the light rays are reflected back into the water.
 Consequently, no light rays from the coin reach the observer's eyes looking
vertically down, making the coin disappear from view.
(b) Ray Diagrams:
 Visible Coin: A ray diagram should show light rays originating from the coin,
refracting away from the normal at the water surface, and reaching the
observer's eye. The apparent position of the coin will be higher than its real
position.
 Disappearing Coin: A ray diagram should show light rays originating from the
coin striking the water-air interface at an angle greater than the critical angle,
undergoing total internal reflection back into the water, and thus not reaching the
observer's eye.
2. Image Formation with a Twist:
(a) Effect on the Image:
 The complete image will still be formed on the screen. Each point on the object
reflects light rays in all directions. The uncovered upper half of the lens will still
refract a sufficient number of rays from every point on the candle to form a
corresponding point on the image.
(b) Changes in Characteristics:
 Brightness/Intensity: The brightness or intensity of the image will decrease.
This is because the lower half of the lens, which was contributing to the formation
of the image by refracting light rays, is now blocked. With less light rays
converging to form the image, the image will be dimmer.
 Position and Nature: The position and nature (real and inverted) of the image
will remain the same. The focal length of the lens has not changed, and the
object distance remains the same. Therefore, according to the lens formula (
1 1 1
= − ), the image distance v will also remain the same.
F v u

(c) Ray Diagrams:


 Uncovered Lens: A standard ray diagram showing the formation of a real and
inverted image by a convex lens.
 Lower Half Covered: A ray diagram showing that even with the lower half
covered, rays from the top part of the object still refract through the upper half of
the lens to form the complete image (though dimmer) at the same position.
3. The Mystery of the Bent Stick:
(a) Explanation and Ray Diagram:
 The apparent bending of the stick is due to the refraction of light as it passes
from water (a denser medium) to air (a rarer medium).
 When light rays travel from the submerged part of the stick to the water surface,
they refract away from the normal.
 When these refracted rays reach the observer's eye, the brain traces them back
in straight lines. This makes the submerged part of the stick appear to be raised
and bent upwards at the water surface.
 Ray Diagram: Show rays originating from a point on the submerged stick,
refracting away from the normal at the water-air interface, and the apparent
position of that point being higher than its actual position when the refracted rays
are traced back.
(b) Direction of Bending:
 The stick appears to bend towards the water surface. This is because the
refracted rays bend away from the normal, making the submerged part appear
higher than it actually is.
(c) Effect of Denser Liquid:
 If a denser liquid like glycerine is used instead of water, the apparent bending
would be more pronounced.
 This is because glycerine has a higher refractive index than water. The greater
the difference in refractive indices between the two media (liquid and air), the
greater the angle of refraction for the same angle of incidence. Consequently, the
apparent shift in the position of the submerged part of the stick will be larger,
leading to a more noticeable bend.
4. Real and Virtual Images Simultaneously?
 Yes, a convex lens can simultaneously form a real image of one object and a
virtual image of another object placed at different positions on its principal axis.
 Real Image Formation: To form a real image, the object must be placed
beyond the focal point (u>f) of the convex lens. The real image is formed on the
opposite side of the lens and can be projected onto a screen.
 Virtual Image Formation: To form a virtual image, the object must be placed
between the optical center and the focal point (u<f) of the convex lens. The
virtual image is formed on the same side as the object and cannot be projected
onto a screen; it appears as if the light rays are diverging from a point behind the
object.
 Ray Diagrams:
o Real Image: Show an object placed beyond f, with rays converging after
refraction to form a real, inverted image on the other side.
o Virtual Image: Show another object placed between the optical center
and f, with rays diverging after refraction, and when traced back, appearing
to originate from a virtual, upright image on the same side as the object.
 Since the lens can refract light from different objects placed at different locations
independently, it can simultaneously create a real image of one and a virtual
image of the other, each according to the object's position relative to the lens's
focal point.
5. The Power of Combinations:
(a) Equivalent Focal Length:
 When two thin lenses are placed in contact, their equivalent focal length (F) is
1 1 1
given by: F = f + f
1 2

(b) Converging or Diverging Combination:


 If ∣f1∣<∣f2∣ (numerical values), and f1 is positive (convex lens) and f2 is negative
1 1 1
(concave lens): F = +
|f 1| |f 2|

Since ∣f1∣<∣f2∣, we have f > f


1 1

| 1| | 2|
 Therefore, F1 will be positive, which means the equivalent focal length F is
positive.
 A positive focal length indicates that the combination will behave as a
converging lens.
(c) Effect of Increasing Distance:
 When the distance d between the two lenses is increased, the formula for the
equivalent focal length changes to:

is P=P1+P2−dP1P2.
 The power of a lens is given by P=f1. So, the equivalent power of the combination

 If the initial distance was considered negligible (lenses in contact, d≈0), the initial
equivalent power was Pinitial=P1+P2.
 When d increases, the term −dP1P2 becomes significant.

−dP1P2 will be positive, increasing the overall power of the combination


o If one lens is converging (P1>0) and the other is diverging (P2<0), then

(making it more converging or less diverging).


o If both lenses are converging (P1>0,P2>0), then −dP1P2 will be negative,
decreasing the overall power of the combination (making it less converging
or more diverging).
o If both lenses are diverging (P1<0,P2<0), then −dP1P2 will be negative,
further decreasing the overall power (making it more diverging).
In summary, increasing the separation between the lenses will change the equivalent
focal length and thus the power of the combination in a way that depends on the
individual focal lengths (or powers) of the lenses.

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