Light : Reflection and Refraction 247

ACTIVITY ZONE
ACTIVITY 1 (NCERT Pg 161) Conclusion
1. If the image formed by the mirror is diminished for all
Objective positions of the object, then the mirror is convex.
To know how would be the images, when the reflecting 2. If the image formed behind the mirror is larger than the
surfaces are curved. object, then the mirror is concave.

Materials Required
Large shining spoon and an object (i.e. our face)
Check Yourself
Procedure 1. What will be the type of mirror, when image formed is
diminished for all positions?
Case 1st
Ans The type of mirror is convex, if image formed is diminished
1. Take a large shining spoon. Try to view your face in its for all positions.
curved surface.
2. Inner curved surface of large shining spoon acts as what
2. Do you get the image? Is it smaller or larger?
type of mirror?
3. Move the spoon slowly away from your face. Observe Ans It acts as concave mirror.
the image. How does it change?
3. In first case, if we move our face slowly away, the face
Case 2nd becomes, what?
1. Reverse the spoon and repeat the activity. How does the Ans The face becomes inverted when we slowly move away our
face.
image look like now?
2. Compare the characteristics of the image on the two 4. Give the nature of image in 2nd case.
surfaces. Ans Image is virtual, erect and diminished.
5. When our face is too far, image will be formed at?
Observations Ans Image will be formed at focus when our face is too far.
Observation 1st
l The inner curved surface of a large shining spoon acts as
a concave mirror. The object is our face. When the
spoon is at a small distance from the object, it lies ACTIVITY 2 (NCERT Pg 162)
between pole and focus of concave mirror. We observe
enlarged and erect image of our face. Objective
l When we move the spoon slowly away from our face we To understand the convergence of light.
observe that the image, i.e. our face becomes inverted. Materials Required
Observation 2nd Concave mirror and sheet of paper.
l When we reverse the spoon, its curved surface/position Caution
is bulged out. It behaves as a convex mirror. Do not look at the Sun directly or even into a mirror,
l The image of our face is virtual, erect and diminished. As reflecting sunlight. It may damage your eyes.
we move the spoon away from our face, the image
moves away till it is at the focus of the mirror. Thus, the Procedure
image continues to be virtual, erect and diminished. 1. Hold a concave mirror in your hand and direct its
reflecting surface towards the Sun.
Outer 2. Direct the light reflected by the mirror on to a sheet of
Inner curved curved
surface
paper held close to the mirror.
surface
Object Face
3. Move the sheet of paper back and forth gradually until
(our face) you find a bright, sharp spot of light on the paper sheet.
4. Hold the mirror and the paper in the same position for a
few minutes. Then, observe.
Enlarged image Diminished image
248

Observations 1. Take a concave mirror. Find out its approximate focal

l The Sun is the main source of light which is at infinite length in the way described above. Note down the value
distance from the concave mirror. On reflection from of focal length. (You can also find it by obtaining image
the concave mirror, the sunlight collects at focus of the of a distant object on a sheet of paper).
mirror. By moving the sheet of paper back and forth 2. Mark a line on a table with a chalk. Place the concave
gradually, we get a bright sharp spot of light on the mirror on a stand. Place the stand over the line such that
paper. This spot is the real, point sized image of the Sun its pole lies over the line.
at the focus of the concave mirror. 3. With a chalk, draw two more lines perpendicular to the
l When we hold the mirror and the paper in the same previous line such that the distance between any two
position for a few minutes, the paper starts burning, successive lines is equal to the focal length of the mirror.
because the Sun rays are concentrated on the bright These lines will now correspond to the positions of the
sharp spot of light on paper. points P, F and C, respectively. Remember for a
Paper
spherical mirror of small aperture, the principal focus F
lies mid-way between the pole P and the centre of
Rays of Sun
curvature C.
Concave 4. Keep a bright object, say a burning candle, at a position
F mirror far beyond C. Place a paper screen and move it in front
C of the mirror till you obtain a sharp bright image of the
candle flame on it.
5. Observe the image carefully. Note down its nature,
position and relative size with respect to the object size.
6. Repeat the activity by placing the candle (i) just beyond
Check Yourself C, (ii) at C, (iii) between F and C, (iv) at F and (v) between
P and F.
1. On reflection from the concave mirror, the sunlight 7. In one of the cases, you may not get the image on the
collects at what position of the mirror? screen. Identify the position of the object in such a case.
Ans Sunlight collects at the focus of the mirror. Then, look for its virtual image in the mirror itself.
8. Note down and tabulate your observations.
2. A point image is formed at?
Ans A point image is formed at the focus. Observation
3. The sharp bright spot represents the image of what? l When we keep a bright object such as a burning candle
Ans The sharp, bright spot represents the image of the Sun. at a position beyond C and move back and forth a paper
screen in front of the mirror, we get a sharp bright image
4. Light rays are which type of wave? of the candle flame on the screen between F and C. This
Ans Light rays are an electromagnetic wave. image is inverted and real. When the candle is at C, we
5. Is there any medium required for the light ray to travel? get image at C. The image is real, inverted and of same
Ans Light rays do not require any medium to travel. size as that of object. When the candle is between C and
F, we get image beyond C. The image is inverted and
bigger in size.
ACTIVITY 3 (NCERT Pg 163)
l When the candle is between P and F, we get the image
by looking into mirror. The image is enlarged and erect.
Objective Conclusion
To study the formation of image by concave mirror. When the activity is repeated by placing the candle at different
positions, we conclude the following:
Materials Required
1. Beyond C, the image is real, inverted, slightly smaller in
A concave mirror, a stand, a chalk, a burning candle and a
card board size and is situated near C as shown in Fig. (ii).
2. At C, the image is real, inverted and of same size as the
Procedure object. The image is situated at C itself as shown in
You have already learnt a way of determining the focal Fig. (iii).
length of a concave mirror. In activity 2, you have seen that 3. Between F and C, the image is real, inverted, bigger in
the sharp bright spot of light you got on the paper is, in fact, size as compared to the object and is situated beyond C
the image of the Sun. It was a tiny, real, inverted image. You as shown in Fig. (iv).
got the approximate focal length of the concave mirror by 4. At F, the image is real, inverted, much bigger in size than
measuring the distance of the image from the mirror. the object and is situated much beyond C as shown in
Fig. (v) .
Light : Reflection and Refraction 249

5. Between P and F , the image is virtual and erect. The image is seen at the back of the mirror as shown in Fig. (vi).
M
A M A M A D
D
D B
P B P
C C BN C F
F B F P
At A E
infinity B N D AN
N N
(i) (ii) (iii)
M AN
M M E
E
A
A A D D
BN C D C B C
P P B r
F F P BN
B F
AN At
N
N infinity N (vi)
(iv) (v)

The observations in tabular form are

Observation Table
Position of object Position of image Size of image Nature of image
(i) At infinity At F Highly diminished, point sized Real and inverted
(ii) Beyond C Between F and C Diminished Real and inverted
(iii) At C At C Same size Real and inverted
(iv) Between C and F Beyond C Enlarged Real and inverted
(v) At F At infinity Highly enlarged Real and inverted
(vi) Between P and F Behind mirror Enlarged Virtual and erect

Check Yourself ACTIVITY 4 (NCERT Pg 166)

1. Give the nature of image of burning candle, when candle is Objective

at infinity. To study the formation of image by drawing ray diagrams.
Ans Nature of image is real and diminished.
Materials Required
2. When object is at focus where will be the image formed?
Pen, scale and paper.
Ans Image will be formed at infinity.
3. When the object is very far what is the measured distance Procedure
between the image and concave mirror called? 1. Draw neat ray diagrams for each position of the object
Ans Focal length of the mirror. shown in table below.
4. Minimum distance between object and image for real image 2. You may take any two of the rays mentioned in the
will be. previous section for locating the image.
Ans Minimum distance between object and image for real image is 3. Compare your diagram.
zero.
4. Describe the nature, position and relative size of the
5. How many rays are required to form an image? image formed in each case.
Ans Two rays are required for the formation of image. 5. Tabulate the results in a convenient format.
250

Observation
The rays for each position of the object is shown below
M
A D A M
r
BN
P B
C F C F P
Object at infinity
(distant tree) AN
B N
(i) D (ii) N
M E
M
A D A
BN C B
P
B P F
C F
BN
AN N
N (iv)
(iii) AN

M E AN
M E
A D A
BN
P i P
C B F C F B r BN

Image N
at N
infinity
(v) (vi)

Observation Table
Position of Object Position of Image Size of Image Nature of Image

(i) At infinity At F Highly diminished, point sized Real and inverted

(ii) Beyond C Between F and C Diminished Real and inverted

(iii) At C At C Same size Real and inverted

(iv) Between C and F Beyond C Enlarged Real and inverted

(v) At F At infinity Highly enlarged Real and inverted

(vi) Between P and F Behind mirror Enlarged Virtual and erect

Check Yourself
1. Under which condition a concave mirror can form an image larger than the actual size?
Ans When object is placed between F and P, it will form larger image.
2. What is the position of an object, when the real image formed by a concave mirror is larger than the object?
Ans Real image by concave mirror will be larger, when object is in between F and C.
3. If position of object is at infinity, then position of image will be
Ans Position of image will be at focus.
4. What is the nature of image when object is at centre of curvature?
Ans Nature of image will be real, inverted, same in size and at centre of curvature.
5. Where does a ray passing from centre of curvature to the mirror goes?
Ans The ray retraces its path when it passes through centre of curvature.
Light : Reflection and Refraction 251

ACTIVITY 5 (NCERT Pg 167) ACTIVITY 6 (NCERT Pg 167)

Objective Objective
To study the formation of image by a convex mirror. To find out which mirror will give the full image of a large
object, i.e. concave, convex or plane mirror.
Materials Required
A convex mirror and pencil. Materials Required
A concave mirror, a convex mirror, a plane mirror and
Procedure
a distant object.
1. Take a convex mirror. Hold it in one hand.
2. Hold a pencil in the upright position in the other hand. Procedure
3. Observe the image of the pencil in the mirror. Is the 1. Observe the image of a distant object, say a distant tree,
image erect or inverted? Is it diminished or enlarged? in a plane mirror.
4. Move the pencil away from the mirror, slowly. Does the 2. Could you see a full length image?
image become smaller or larger? 3. Try with plane mirrors of different sizes. Did you see the
5. Repeat this activity carefully. State whether the image entire object in the image?
will move closer to or farther away from the focus as the 4. Repeat this activity with a concave mirror. Did the
object is moved away from the mirror. mirror show full length image of the object?
5. Now try using a convex mirror. Did you succeed?
Observation Explain your observations with reason.
l When we hold a pencil in the upright position in front of
a convex mirror, we view that the image of the pencil in Observation
the mirror is at the back of the mirror. The image is erect, l When we observe the image of a distant object, i.e. tree
virtual and smaller in size than the object. in a plane mirror, the full length of image is not seen. If
l When the pencil is moved away from the mirror, the we try with plane mirrors of different sizes. We find that
image becomes smaller and smaller. the entire object in the image is seen when size of plane
mirror is at least half the size of the object.
l While repeating the
activity, we find that as an l If we repeat this activity with a concave mirror, we
object is moved away from observe full length image of an object for certain
the mirror, the image locations.
would move closer to focus l When we use a convex mirror, the full length of an
of the mirror. object is seen wherever the object may be located.
The main reasons behind this activity are
Check Yourself (i ) In a plane mirror, size of image is always equal to the size
of an object.
1. If the image formed is always virtual, what type of the
mirror it can be? Plane mirror
Ans In convex or plane mirror, image formed is always virtual.
2. If an object moved away, then in which type of mirror, the
image would move closer to the focus?
Ans If an object is moved away from convex mirror, the image
Concave mirror
would move closer to focus of the convex mirror.
3. What is the nature of the image of the pencil, formed?
Ans The image of pencil formed is virtual, erect and highly
diminished.
Convex mirror
4. Spherical mirror is a part of, what?
Ans Spherical mirror is a part of sphere whose one face is
polished.
(ii ) In a concave mirror, the image is smaller or equal in size
5. Where does a ray of light go, coming from focus to the to the size of an object only for certain locations of the
mirror? object.
Ans If a ray of light comes from focus to mirror, it goes parallel to (iii ) In a convex mirror, the image is always virtual, erect and
principal axis. shorter than an object, wherever an object may be
located.
252

Check Yourself Activity 7B

1. In which type of mirror we view the complete image? Procedure
Ans In convex mirror, we view complete image. 1. Place a large shallow bowl of water on a table and put a coin
in it.
2. Which type of image is viewed in plane mirror?
2. Move away slowly from the bowl. Stop when the coin just
Ans In plane mirror, virtual image is formed.
disappears from your sight.
3. A full length image of a distant tall building can 3. Ask a friend to pour water gently into the bowl without
definitely be seen by using what type of mirror? disturbing the coin.
Ans In convex mirror, a full length image of a distant building
is formed. 4. Keep looking for the coin from your position. Does the coin
become visible again from your position? How could this
4. What is the size of image formed in plane mirror? happen?
Ans Image formed in plane mirror is of same size.
Observation
5. What is the focal length of plane mirror?
Ans Focal length of plane mirror is infinity ( ∞).
Ä Consider a large shallow bowl filled with water, the coin is
at the bottom A. Due to refraction of light, the image B of
the coin appears to be raised. When we move our eye
slowly away from the bowl, the coin disappears from our
ACTIVITY 7 (NCERT Pg 172) sight. This happens when rays starting from coin A fail to
enter our eye, after refraction at the water surface.
Objective Ä If a friend pours more water gently into the bowl without
disturbing the coin, the coin becomes visible again from the
To understand the phenomenon of refraction of light. same position of our eye.
Materials Required Ä It happens because on adding water, real depth of the coin
A coin and a bucket of water. increases. The apparent depth of the coin is equal to real
depth divided by refractive index of water. Therefore,
Activity 7A apparent depth of the coin also increases. The apparent
position of the coin rises slightly above B and it becomes
Procedure visible from the same position of our eye.
1. Place a coin at the bottom of a bucket filled with
water.
2. With your eye to a side above water, try to pick up
the coin in one go. Did you succeed in picking up the
coin? B
A
3. Repeat the activity. Why did you not succeed in where, A = real position of coin
doing it in one go? B = apparent position of coin
4. Ask your friends to do this. Compare your
experience with their.
Check Yourself
Observation
Ä Consider a coin A at the bottom of a 1. Why we cannot pick up the coin in one go?
bucket filled with water. When we Ans Since the coin appears little above its real position, therefore we
view this coin with our eye to a side cannot pick up the coin in one go.
above water, we observe the image 2. In going from medium water to air, rays of light bend ...........the
at a position B of the coin which is normal.
above A. Ans Rays of light bend away from the normal.
Ä When we try to pick up this coin in B 3. The basic cause of refraction is
one go, we do not succeed because A
Ans Basic cause of refraction is that, “the velocity of light is different
we move our hand at B, where the in different media.”
coin is being observed, but actually the coin lies at
position A, the bottom of the bucket. When our 4. What do you mean by refraction?
friends try the same way, they also fail to pick up the Ans The process of bending of a ray of light on going from one
medium to another is known as refraction.
coin. However, if someone knows that coin is at the
bottom of the bucket, then he/she can pick up 5. Give the path of light when it goes from air to water.
the coin. Ans Light will move towards the normal.
Light : Reflection and Refraction 253

Ä The angle of emergence r2 is equal to the angle of

ACTIVITY 8 (NCERT Pg 173) incidence i 1 , because angles of bending of the ray of
light atO andO ′ at opposite parallel faces AB andCD of
the rectangular glass slab are equal and opposite.
Objective
Ä The light ray O ′ L is shifted sideways slightly, which is
To understand the phenomenon of refraction of light
known as lateral displacement.
through a glass slab.
Materials Required
A sheet of paper, drawing board, pins and glass slab. Check Yourself
Procedure 1. How many refractions occur on passing through a glass
1. Fix a sheet of white paper on a drawing board using slab?
drawing pins. Ans There are two refractions that are taking place.
2. Place a rectangular glass slab over the sheet in the middle. 2. In the 2nd refraction O′ on the glass-air interface CD, what
3. Draw the outline of the slab with a pencil. Let us name the is angle of emergence r2?
outline as ABCD. Ans Angle of emergence r2 is always greater than i 2 and equal
4. Take four identical pins. to i1.
5. Fix two pins, say E and F, vertically such that the line 3. Do the points E and F lie on the same straight line as the
joining the pins is inclined to the edge AB. points G and H?
6. Look for the images of the pins E and F through the Ans No, the points E and F do not lie on the same straight line as
opposite edge. Fix two other pins, say G and H, such that the points G and H.
these pins and the images of E and F all lie on a 4. Velocity of light is maximum in which medium?
straight line. Ans Velocity of light is maximum in air.
7. Remove the pins and the slab. 5. Give the path of light when it goes from air to glass.
8. Join the positions of tip of the pins E and F and produce Ans Light will bend towards the normal.
the line upto AB. Let EF meet AB at O. Similarly, join the
positions of the pins G and H and produce it up to the
edge CD. Let HG meet CD at O ′.
E
N
ACTIVITY 9 (NCERT Pg 177)
F i1
Air
A B Objective
O Glass
Glass
r1 To understand, what happens when parallel rays of light
slab
N' are incident on a lens.
i2
M' L Materials Required
D C
O' G Air A convex lens and a sheet of paper.
M' r2 H
P Caution
9. Join O and O ′. Also, produce EF up to P, as shown by a Do not look at the Sun directly or through a lens while
dotted line in figure. doing this activity or otherwise you may damage your
Observation eyes, if you do so.
At point O, draw NN ′ perpendicular to AB. At pointO ′, draw Procedure
MM ′ perpendicular to CD. Also, draw O ′L perpendicular to 1. Hold a convex lens in your hand. Direct it towards
OP. the Sun.
The following observations are made by us 2. Focus the light from the Sun on a sheet of paper. Obtain
Ä At point O, the ray of light enters from air to glass and a sharp bright image of the Sun.
bend towards the normal NN ′ which is known as first 3. Hold the paper and the lens in the same position for a
refraction. while. Keep observing the paper. What happens? Why?
Ä At point O ′, the ray of light enters from glass to air and Recall your experience in activity 2 with the concave
bend away from the normal MM ′ which is known as mirror.
second refraction.
254

Observation 4. The two lines on either side of the lens correspond to F

Ä When we direct a convex lens in our hand towards the and 2F of the lens, respectively. Mark them with
Sun, the light from the Sun is focussed on a sheet of appropriate letters such as 2F1 , F1 , F 2 and 2F 2 ,
paper. By moving the sheet of paper back and forth, we respectively.
obtain a sharp, bright image of the Sun on the paper. 5. Place a burning candle, far beyond 2F1 to the left.
Ä When the paper and the lens are held in the same Obtain a clear sharp image on a screen on the opposite
position for some time, the paper may burn out, because side of the lens.
of heat produced by the Sun rays as they concentrate on 6. Note down the nature, position and relative size of the
the spot where image of Sun is being formed. This is the image.
same as we observed in activity 2 of topic 1. 7. Repeat this activity by placing object just behind 2 F1 , at
2 F1 , between F1 and 2F1 , at F1 , between F1 and O.
8. Note down and tabulate your observations.
Sun
Observation
Lens Paper Ä From activity 1, measure the distance between the
convex lens and sheet of paper on which a sharp,
bright image of the Sun is formed. Thus, this
Check Yourself distance is approximate focal length of the convex
lens.
1. If we place a convex lens towards the Sun, then where the Ä Now, place a burning candle which acts as an object on
light from the sun is focussed? the left side of the lens. Its image can be obtained on a
Ans Light of the Sun is focussed at focus of lens. screen on the right side of the lens.
2. What happens when the paper and the lens are kept in the Ä When the burning candle is beyond 2F1, we move the
same position for a long time? screen back and forth to obtain a sharp image of the
Ans The paper will start burning. candle flame on the screen. It is observed that the
image is real, inverted, highly diminished, point-sized
3. What does the spot on the paper represents during this
and the screen is located near F 2.
experiment?
Ans Spot on the paper represents image of the Sun. Ä Now, we proceed in this way and note the nature,
position and relative size of the image for different
4. Sun can be considered as an object present at what positions of object.
position?
Ans It is considered to be at infinity.
5. Image of the Sun will be formed at what position?
Ans Image of the Sun will be formed at focus.

2F1 F1 O F2 2F2
ACTIVITY 10 (NCERT Pg 178)
Observation Table
Objective Position of Position of Relative size Nature of
object image of image image
To understand how convex lens forms images and what is
At infinity At focus F2 Highly Real and
its nature. diminished inverted
Materials Required point sized
A convex lens, chalk, table, burning candle and lens stand. Beyond 2 F1 Between F2 Diminished Real and
and 2 F2 inverted
Procedure At 2F1 At 2F2 Same size Real and
1. Take a convex lens. Find its approximate focal length in a inverted
way described in activity 1. Between F1 and Beyond 2 F2 Enlarged Real and
2. Draw five parallel straight lines, using chalk, on a long 2 F1 inverted
table such that the distance between the successive At focus F1 At infinity Infinitely large Real and
lines is equal to the focal length of the lens. or highly inverted
3. Place the lens on a lens stand. Place it on the central line enlarged
such that the optical centre of the lens lies just over the Between focus On the same Enlarged Virtual and
line. F1 and optical side of the lens erect
centre O as the object
Light : Reflection and Refraction 255

Check Yourself Observation

Ä A burning candle placed on one side of a concave lens
1. How can we define the focal length? acts as an object. When we see through the lens from the
Ans Focal length is the distance between the convex lens and the other side, we observe an erect, virtual and smaller image
image formed, when the object is at infinity. formed on the same side of the lens as the candle. It is not
2. What is the nature of image when object is present possible to get the image on the screen as the image is not
between F1 and 2F1? real. The position of the image is between focus F and
Ans Nature of image is real, inverted and enlarged. optical centre O of the lens.
3. What is the position of the object, if the nature of the Ä As the candle is moved away from the lens, the size of the
image is virtual and erect? image goes on decreasing. When the candle is too far
Ans The position of object will be between F1 and O (optical away from the lens, the image becomes highly
centre). diminished or point sized at the focus F.
4. Same sized, real image is formed when object is at … .
Ans Same sized, real image is formed when object is at 2F1.

5. When object is at focus where will the image be formed?

Ans When object is at focus, image will be formed at ( ∞) infinity. F
Object Image O

ACTIVITY 11 (NCERT Pg 179)

Objective Check Yourself
To study the nature, position and relative size of the
1. Which lens forms a virtual image which is always smaller
image formed by a concave lens. than the object?
Ans Concave lens always forms smaller virtual image for any
Materials Required
position of object.
A concave lens, a burning candle, lens stand, screen
2. Give the position of image in the activity.
Procedure Ans Position of image in activity is in between F and O.
1. Take a concave lens. Place it on a lens stand. 3. When the candle is too far away from the lens, then the
2. Place a burning candle on one side of the lens. nature of image will be
3. Look through the lens from the other side and observe Ans The nature of image will be diminished, virtual and erect.
the image. Try to get the image on a screen, if possible. 4. The position of image when object is at infinity or too far will
If not, observe the image directly through the lens. be
4. Note down the nature, relative size and approximate Ans Position of image is at focus of the lens.
position of the image.
5. Which type of ray becomes parallel to principal axis after
5. Move the candle away from the lens. Note the change refraction through a concave lens?
in the size of the image. What happens to the size of the Ans A ray directed towards first focus of lens becomes parallel to
image when the candle is placed too far away from principal axis after refraction from the lens.
the lens?