Page |1

Chapter 10
Light – Reflection and Refraction

How do we see objects?

 Light from any source falls on an object.
 The object reflects the light that falls on it.
 When the reflected light is received by our eyes, we see the object.

Ray of light:
 Light travels in straight lines.
o Proof: a small source of light casts a sharp shadow of an opaque object.
 The straight-line path of light is called a ray of light.

Reflection:
A highly polished surface, such as a mirror, changes the direction of the light falling on it. This is called
reflection.

Incident ray:
The light ray, which strikes any surface, is called the incident ray.

Reflected ray:
The ray that comes back from the surface after reflection is known as the reflected ray.

Normal:
A line making an angle of 90º to the mirror at the point where the incident ray strikes the mirror is known as
the normal to the reflecting surface at that point.

Angle of Incidence:
The angle between the normal and incident ray is called the angle of incidence (∠i).

Angle of reflection:
The angle between the normal and the reflected ray is known as the angle of reflection (∠r)

Laws of Reflection of Light:

i. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. (∠i = ∠r)
ii. The incident ray, the normal and the reflected ray, all lie in the same plane.
 Page |2

Properties of image formed by a plane mirror:

i. Virtual – image cannot be obtained on a screen
ii. Erect – image is straight
iii. Size of the image is same as the object
iv. The image formed is as far behind the mirror as the object is in front of it.
v. The image is laterally inverted.

Spherical Mirrors:
 Mirrors, whose reflecting surfaces are spherical are called spherical mirrors.
 The reflecting surface of a spherical mirror may be curved inwards or outwards.

Types of Spherical Mirrors:

Concave Mirror Convex Mirror
A spherical mirror, whose reflecting surface is curved A spherical mirror whose reflecting surface is curved
inwards is called a concave mirror. outwards is called a convex mirror.

Note: the shaded side is non-reflecting

Common terms in Spherical Mirrors:

Pole:
 The centre of the reflecting surface of a spherical mirror is a point called the pole.
 It lies on the surface of the mirror.
 The pole is usually represented by the letter P.

Centre of Curvature:
 The reflecting surface of a spherical mirror forms a part of a sphere.
 This centre of the sphere is called the centre of curvature of the spherical mirror.
 It is represented by the letter C.
 It lies outside the reflecting surface. It is not part of the mirror.
o The centre of curvature of a concave mirror lies in front of it.
o It lies behind the mirror in case of a convex mirror.

Radius of curvature:
 The radius of the sphere of which the reflecting surface of a spherical mirror forms a part, is called the radius
of curvature of the mirror.
 It is represented by the letter R.
 The distance PC is equal to the radius of curvature.
 Page |3

Principal axis:
 An imaginary straight line passing through the pole and the centre of curvature of a spherical mirror is called
the principal axis.
 The principal axis is normal to the mirror at its pole.

Aperture:
 The length of the reflecting surface of spherical mirror is called its aperture.
 It is represented as MN.

Principal Focus:
1. Concave Mirror:
 When a number of rays parallel to the principal axis falls on a concave mirror and gets reflected, the
reflected rays meet at a point on the principal axis in front of the mirror.
 This point is called the principal focus of the concave mirror.

2. Convex mirror:
 When a number of rays parallel to the principal axis falls on a convex mirror and gets reflected, the
reflected rays appear to come from a point on the principal axis beyond the mirror.
 This point is called the principal focus of the convex mirror.

 The principal focus is represented by the letter F.

Focal length:
 The distance between the pole and the principal focus of a spherical mirror is called the focal length.
 It is represented by the letter f.

Relationship between the radius of curvature R, and focal length f:

 Radius of curvature = 2 x Focal length
 R = 2f
 The principal focus (F) of a spherical mirror lies midway between the pole and centre of curvature.
 Page |4

Solve:
1. The radius of curvature of a spherical mirror is 20 cm. What is its focal length?

2. If the focal length of a concave mirror is 12 cm, find the radius of the hollow glass sphere from which the
mirror is made by cutting a portion.

Concave Mirror Convex mirror

1. Reflective surface is curved inwards. 1. Reflective surface is curved outwards.
2. Principal focus is in front of the reflecting surface 2. Principal focus is behind the reflecting surface
(real focus). (virtual focus).
3. Converging mirror 3. Diverging mirror.

Image formed by concave mirror:

Size of the image Nature of the image
Position of the object Position of the image (Diminished/Same (Real/Virtual and
size/Enlarged) Erect/Inverted)

At infinity

Beyond C

At C

Between C and F

At F

Between P and F
 Page |5

Ray diagrams:
 The formation of image by spherical mirrors is shown using ray diagrams.
 An infinite number of rays emerge from the object but only two rays are considered to know their directions
after reflection from the mirror.
 The intersection of at least two reflected rays give the position of image of the point object.

Rays that can be considered for locating the image: (Any two)
After Reflection
Rays
Concave Mirror Convex Mirror
will pass through the principal focus. appears to diverge from the principal focus.

A ray parallel to the

principal axis

will emerge parallel to the principal axis. will emerge parallel to the principal axis.

A ray passing
through the principal
focus, F

reflected back along the same path. (normal) reflected back along the same path. (normal)

A ray passing
through the centre
of curvature, C

After reflection: The incident and reflected rays After reflection: The incident and reflected
make equal angles with the principal axis. rays make equal angles with the principal axis.

A ray incident at any

angle on the pole, P
 Page |6

Note:
 All the rays follow the laws of reflection.
 At the point of incidence, the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence.

Ray diagrams for image formation by a concave mirror:

Position of the object Ray diagram Position of the image

At infinity

Beyond C

At C

Between C and F

At F

Between P and F
 Page |7

Uses of concave mirrors:

Use Reason
Torches, search-lights and vehicles headlights To get powerful parallel beams of light
Shaving mirrors To see a larger image of the face
Dentists To see large images of the teeth of patients
Large concave mirrors are used to concentrate sunlight to
Solar furnaces
produce heat in solar furnaces.

Image formed by a convex mirror:

Size of the image Nature of the image
Position of the object Position of the image (Diminished/Same (Real/Virtual and
size/Enlarged) Erect/Inverted)

Highly diminished, point

At infinity At F, behind the mirror Virtual and erect
sized

Between P and F, behind

Between infinity and P Diminished Virtual and erect
the mirror

Ray diagrams for image formation by a convex mirror:

Position of the object Ray diagram Position of the image

At infinity

Between infinity and P

Convex mirrors are commonly used as rear-view (wing) mirrors in vehicles:

 Convex mirrors are preferred because they always give an erect and diminished image.
 They have a wider field of view as they are curved outwards.
 Thus, convex mirrors enable the driver to view much larger area than would be possible with a plane mirror.
 Page |8

New Cartesian Sign Convention:

A set of sign conventions followed while dealing with the reflection of light by spherical mirrors:
1. The pole (P) of the mirror is taken as the origin.
2. The principal axis of the mirror is taken as the x-axis
(X’X) of the coordinate system.
3. The object is always placed to the left of the mirror.
4. All distances parallel to the principal axis are measured
from the pole of the mirror.
5. All the distances measured to the right of the origin
(along+ x-axis) are taken as positive.
6. All distances measured to the left of the origin
(along – x-axis) are taken as negative.
7. Distances measured perpendicular to and above the
principal axis (along + y-axis) are taken as positive.
8. Distances measured perpendicular to and below the principal axis
(along –y-axis) are taken as negative.

Mirror Formula:
Object distance (u): The distance of the object from its pole.
Image distance (v): The distance of the image from the pole.
Focal length (f): The distance of the principal focus from the pole.
Mirror Formula:
1 1 1
+ =
v u f

Magnification:
 Magnification is the extent to which the image of an object is magnified with respect to the object size.
 It is expressed as the ratio of the height of the image to the height of the object.
 It is usually represented by the letter m.
Height of the image (h')
m=
Height of the object (h)
h'
m=
h

Relationship between magnification (m), object distance (u) and image distance (v):
h' v
m= =–
h u

Note:
i. The height of the object is taken to be positive as the object is usually placed above the principal axis.
ii. The height of the image should be taken as
a) positive for virtual images
b) negative for real images
iii. Magnification:
a) negative when image is real.
 Page |9

b) positive when image is virtual.

 P a g e | 10

Refraction of Light:

 Light does not travel in the same direction in all media.

 Light appears that when travelling obliquely from one medium to another, the direction of propagation of
light in the second medium changes.
 This phenomenon is known as refraction of light.
 Refraction is due to change in the speed of light as it enters from one transparent medium to another.
 Examples:
o When a thick glass slab is placed over some printed matter, the letters appear raised when viewed
through the glass slab.
o A pencil partly immersed in water in a glass tumbler appears to be displaced at the interface of air
and water.

Refraction through a rectangular glass slab:

1. The light ray changes its directing at the surface separating both the media:
 The light ray has changed its direction at points O and O′.
 Both the points O and O′ lie on surfaces separating two transparent media.

2. When the light ray enters from a rarer medium to a denser medium, the light ray bends towards the normal:
 Draw a perpendicular NN’ to AB at O which is the normal.
 The light ray at point O has entered from a rarer medium to a denser medium (from air to glass).
 After refraction, the light ray bends towards the normal.

3. When the light ray enters from a denser medium to a rarer medium, the light ray bends away from the normal:
 Draw a perpendicular MM’ to CD at O’ which is the normal.
 The light ray at point O’ has entered from a denser medium to a rarer medium (from glass to air).
 After refraction, the light ray bends away from the normal.
 P a g e | 11

4. The emergent ray is parallel to the direction of the incident ray:

 The ray EO is obliquely incident on surface AB, called incident ray.
 OO′ is the refracted ray.
 O′H is the emergent ray.
 The emergent ray (O’H) is parallel to the direction of the incident ray (EO).
 Reason: The extent of bending of the ray of light at the opposite parallel faces AB (air-glass interface) and CD
(glass-air interface) of the rectangular glass slab is equal and opposite. This is why the ray emerges parallel to
the incident ray.

5. When a light ray is incident normally to the interface of two media, the light ray does not bend. It goes straight.

Laws of Refraction of Light:

1. The incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal to the interface of two transparent media at the point of
incidence, all lie in the same plane.
2. The ratio of sine of angle of incidence to the sine of angle of refraction is a constant, for the light of a given
colour and for the given pair of media.
 This law is also known as Snell’s law of refraction.
 This is true for angle 0 < i < 90o
 If i is the angle of incidence and r is the angle of refraction, then,
sin i
= constant
sin r
 This constant value is called the refractive index of the second medium with respect to the first.

Refractive Index:
 A ray of light that travels obliquely from one transparent medium into another will change its direction in
the second medium.
 The extent of the change in direction that takes place in a given pair of media may be expressed in terms
of the refractive index.
sin i
 Refractive index =
sin r

Relationship between refractive index and the speed of light:

 The value of the refractive index for a given pair of media depends upon the speed of light in the two media.
 Light travels fastest in vacuum with speed of 3 × 10 8 m s–1.
 In air, the speed of light is slightly less compared to vacuum.
 The speed of light reduces more in glass or water.
 P a g e | 12

Consider a ray of light travelling from medium 1 into medium 2,

v1 = speed of light in medium 1
v2 = speed of light in medium 2
 The refractive index of medium 2 with respect to medium 1 is given by the ratio of the speed of light in
medium 1 and the speed of light in medium 2.
 This is usually represented by the symbol n 21.
Speed of light in medium 1 v1
n21 = =
Speed of light in medium 2 v2

The refractive index of medium 1 with respect to medium 2,

Speed of light in medium 2 v2
n12 = =
Speed of light in medium 1 v1

Absolute Refractive index:

 If medium 1 is vacuum or air, then the refractive index of medium 2 is considered with respect to vacuum.
 This is called the absolute refractive index of the medium.
 It is represented as n2.

If, c = speed of light in air/vacuum = 3 × 10 8 m s–1

v = speed of light in the medium
nm = refractive index of medium

Speed of light in air c

nm = =
Speed of light in the medium v

 The absolute refractive index of a medium is simply called its refractive index.
 Example:
o Refractive index of water, nw = 1.33.
o Here, the ratio of the speed of light in air and the speed of light in water is equal to 1.33.

Note:
 An optically denser medium may not possess greater mass density.
 Example: Kerosene having higher refractive index, is optically denser than water, although its mass density is
less than water.
 P a g e | 13

1. Light enters from air to glass having refractive index 1.50. What is the speed of light in the glass? The speed
of light in vacuum is 3 × 108 m s–1.

2. Which medium has the highest optical density?

3. Which medium has the lowest optical density?

4. Among kerosene, turpentine and water, in which of these does the light travel fastest?

5. The refractive index of diamond is 2.42. What is the speed of light in diamond?
 P a g e | 14

Lens:
 A transparent material bound by two surfaces, of which one or both surfaces are spherical, forms a lens.
 Example: Spectacle glasses, magnifying glass

Types of lenses:
Convex lens Concave lens
 A lens having two spherical surfaces, bulging  A double concave lens is bounded by two spherical
outwards is called a double convex lens. surfaces, curved inwards.
 It is simply called a convex lens.  A double concave lens is called a concave lens.
 It is thicker at the middle as compared to the edges.  It is thicker at the edges than at the middle.
 A convex lens converges light. So, convex lenses are  A concave lens diverges light. Such lenses are also
also called converging lenses called diverging lenses.

Centres of curvature, C:
 A lens, either a convex lens or a concave lens, has two spherical surfaces.
 Each of these surfaces forms a part of a sphere.
 The centres of these spheres are called centres of curvature of the lens.
 The centre of curvature of a lens is usually represented by the letter C.
 Since there are two centres of curvature, we may represent them as C 1 and C2.

Principal axis:
 An imaginary straight line passing through the two centres of curvature of a lens is called its principal axis.

Optical centre, O:
 The central point of a lens is its optical centre.
 It is usually represented by the letter O.
 A ray of light through the optical centre of a lens passes without suffering any deviation.

Aperture:
 The effective diameter of the circular outline of a spherical lens is called its aperture.

Thin lenses with small apertures:

 Lenses whose aperture is much less than its radius of curvature and the two centres of curvatures are
equidistant from the optical centre O are called thin lenses with small apertures.
 P a g e | 15

Principal Focus:
 Convex lens:
o When several rays of light parallel to the principal axis fall on a convex lens, t after refraction from
the lens converge to a point on the principal axis.
o This point on the principal axis is called the principal focus of the convex lens.
 Concave lens:
o When several rays of light parallel to the principal axis fall on a concave lens, these rays, after
refraction from the lens, are appearing to diverge from a point on the principal axis.
o This point on the principal axis is called the principal focus of the concave lens.
 Letter F is usually used to represent principal focus.
 If you pass parallel rays from the opposite surface of the lens, you get another principal focus on the
opposite side.
 A lens has two principal foci. They are represented by F 1 and F2.

Focal Length:
 The distance of the principal focus from the optical centre of a lens is called its focal length.
 The letter f is used to represent the focal length.

Image formation by Convex lenses:

Size of the image Nature of the image

Position of the object Position of the image (Diminished/Same (Real/Virtual and
size/Enlarged) Erect/Inverted)

At infinity

Beyond 2F1

At 2F1

Between F1 and 2F1

At Focus F1

Between Focus F1 and

Optical centre O
 P a g e | 16

Image Formation by Concave lenses:

Size of the image Nature of the image
Position of the object Position of the image (Diminished/Same (Real/Virtual and
size/Enlarged) Erect/Inverted)

Highly diminished, point

At infinity At Focus, F1 Virtual and erect
sized

Between infinity and Between Focus F1 and

Diminished Virtual and erect
Optical centre, O optical centre O

 A concave lens will always give a virtual, erect and diminished image, irrespective of the position of the object.

Image formation in Lenses using Ray diagrams:

 Ray diagrams help us to study the nature, position and relative size of the image formed by lenses.

Rays that can be considered for locating the image: (Any two)
After Refraction
Rays
Convex Lens Concave Lens
will pass through the principal focus on the appears to diverge from the principal focus
other side of the lens. located on the same side of the lens.

A ray parallel to the

principal axis

will emerge parallel to the principal axis. will emerge parallel to the principal axis.

A ray passing
through the principal
focus

will emerge without any deviation. (normal) will emerge without any deviation. (normal)

A ray passing
through the Optical
centre, O
 P a g e | 17

Ray diagrams for image formation by a convex lens:

Position of the object Ray diagram Position of the image

At infinity

Beyond 2F1

At 2F1

Between F1 and 2F1

At Focus F1

Between Focus F1 and

Optical centre O
 P a g e | 18

Ray diagrams for image formation by a concave lens:

Position of the object Ray diagram Position of the image

At infinity

Between infinity and

Optical centre, O

Sign Convention for Spherical Lenses:

 Sign convention is similar to spherical mirrors.
 All the measurements are taken from the Optical centre of the lens.
 Focal length of a convex lens is positive and that of a concave lens is negative.
 Appropriate signs should be given for the values of u, v, f, object height h and image height h′.

Lens Formula:
1 1 1
v
–
u
= f

Magnification:
Height of the image (h')
m=
Height of the object (h)

h'
m=
h

Relationship between magnification (m), object distance (u) and image distance (v):

h' v
m= =
h u
 P a g e | 19

Power of a Lens:
 The degree of convergence or divergence of light rays achieved by a lens is expressed in terms of its power.
 The power of a lens is defined as the reciprocal of its focal length.
 It is represented by the letter P.

1
P=
f

Converging or Diverging ability of a lens:

 The ability of a lens to converge or diverge light rays depends on its focal length.
 Example:
o A convex lens of short focal length bends the light rays through large angles, by focussing them
closer to the optical centre.
o A concave lens of very short focal length causes higher divergence than the one with longer focal
length.

Unit of Power of Lens:

 The SI unit of power of a lens is ‘dioptre’.
 It is denoted by the letter D.
 1 dioptre is the power of a lens whose focal length is 1 metre.
 1D = 1m–1.

Power of convex and concave lenses:

 The power of a convex lens is positive and that of a concave lens is negative.
 Opticians prescribe corrective lenses indicating their powers.
 Example:
i. If the lens prescribed by an optician has power equal to + 2.0 D. This means the lens prescribed is
convex. The focal length of the lens is + 0.50 m.
ii. A lens of power – 2.5 D has a focal length of – 0.40 m. The lens is concave.