Light Notes
Light Notes
Light
Properties of light:
a) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
b) …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
c) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
d) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
1. Reflection of light
Q1. What is meant by reflection of light?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Q2. Complete the diagram below to show how the light ray will travel from the mirror.
Plane mirror
Label incident ray (I), reflected ray (R), normal (N), angle of incidence (i), and
angle of reflection (r)
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Q3. Complete the diagrams below by drawing the normal and the reflected ray
hence calculate angle of reflection.
Q4. The diagram below shows two plane mirrors AB and CD perpendicular to each
other. A ray of light is incident on mirror AB
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Q5. The diagram below shows two plane mirrors
Materials required:
* Optical pins
*Soft board
* Plane sheet of paper
* Plane mirror
* Protractor
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Procedure:
Results:
Analysis:
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Characteristics of images formed by plane mirrors
1 ...................................................................................................................................... .
2 ........................................................................................................................................................ .
3 .................................................................................................................................................. .
4………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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Locating position of an image formed by a plane mirror
• Press an object pin 0 into the board and mark its position.
• With one eye view the image I of this pin, then place a sighting pin PI exactly in
line with the image I and your eye so that the image is covered Up_
• With your eye in the same position place a second sighting pin P2 so that it
covers up both the object pin's image I and P!_
The image I is now known to lie somewhere in line with PI and Pz.
• Mark these pin positions and remove the pins.
• Now view the image I from a different position and repeat the process using
sighting pins P3 and P 4-
As the image also lies on a line drawn through P 3 and P 4, it will
always be found where the two lines cross.
• Remove the pins and mirror, draw the lines through P1P2 and P3P 4 and also
the line joining the object 0 and image I.
• What do you notice about the positions of the object and image?
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Q: Construct rays in the diagrams below in order to locate the image formed
a)
Plane mirror
Object
Object
b) Plane mirror
c)
Object
Plane mirror
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REFRACTION OF LIGHT
Q2.(a) Complete the diagram below to show how light passes through the glass block.
(b)Use the diagram to label all the three light rays, all three angles and the 2 normals.
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Refractive index
Q4 (a) When light moves into glass from air it bends/refracts. Why?
ie: Light will always bend when it changes mediums of different densities
Q5: But does light refracts by the same angle when it enters water as compared to when it
enters glass, Perspex, diamond oil etc?
A: No
Q6: So what determines whether light will refract a lot or will refract just a little?
A: …………………………………………………
We can think of refractive index as a measure of how much light bends/refract as it enters
a medium of different optical density.
Each medium has its own value of refractive index that is dependent on its optical density.
The larger the optical density, the larger the refractive index the more the bending
From the above table which medium has the largest density, which one has the lowest
density and why?
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Whenever light moves from a less dense medium to a denser medium, it
bends towards the normal.
In each diagram, draw the normal hence complete the path of the ray as it goes through the
boundary.
a)
Glass
Air
b) Water
Glass
c)
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Calculating refractive index:
Ni x sin i = Nr x sin r
Q8. Use the diagrams below to calculate refractive index of glass given that refractive
index of air is 1.00 (make sure your calculator is on DEG)
50º Air
Glass
30º
= 1.53
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Q9. Calculate refractive index of medium 2
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Q11. Calculate i or r for light rays from air and refracted into another medium given that:
Materials required:
1. Protractor
2. Plain sheet of paper
3. Soft board
4. 30cm ruler
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5. Sharp pencil
6. Glass block
7. 4 x optical pins
Procedure:
Table of results
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CRITICAL ANGLE (c) & TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION
The diagram below shows a light source at the bottom of a swimming pool. The
source produces many rays of light. A few of these rays have been drawn for you.
Q 13: Complete the path of the rays after they leave the
water.
air
Swimming pool
With water
Light source
Critical angle?
As is the case with refractive index, different mediums have different values of critical
angle.
Medium C
Water 49˚
Diamond 24˚
Glass 42˚
Perspex 42˚
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1
For critical angle: N= (You can still use Ni x sin i = Nr x sin r)
sin C
(This is a formula derived from the main formula. You can continue using the usual
formula keeping in mind that for critical angle, angle r = 90˚)
1. Calculate critical angle for a medium with: (Light from air into that medium)
a) N = 1.6 b) N = 1.45
2. Calculate critical angle for glass given that its refractive index = 1.5
Optic fibres
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2. Used for telecommunication
periscopes
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reflectors
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The diagram below shows a light ray entering a glass block of refractive index 1.5
The glass block has a critical angle of 42°.
Calculate angles y, x and Q hence complete the path of the ray through the block.
y
43°
glass air
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APPARENT & REAL DEPTH
Have you noticed that swimming pools appear shallower when they contain water when
compared to when they are empty?
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https://youtu.be/KgZWf5WECq4 (Apparent and real depth)
https://youtu.be/KUCOJbQB7-0
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LENSES
We already know the two types of lenses namely, convex and concave.
……………………………… ………………………………..
Name the two lenses above and complete the path of the rays as they go through the lenses.
Label anything that you know.
Object
Screen
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EXPERIMENT TO FIND TYPES OF IMAGES FORMED BY CONVEX LENS
Materials required:
➢ Metre rule
➢ Lens holder
➢ Convex lens
➢ Candle with holder
➢ Lighter/matches
➢ Screen
Procedure:
Results:
(At 2F)
(Beyond 2F)
(Between F
& 2F)
(At F)
(Between F
& C)
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Q2. Use ray diagrams to show images of objects placed:
i) at 2F
ii) between 2F and F
iii) beyond 2F (behind 2f from the lens)
iv) at F
v) between F and the lens
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