LIGHT

GRADE VII
NOTEBOOK WORK
LIGHT

It is the form of energy which gives us the sensation of vision. It makes the things visible to us due to
reflection.
Light travels in a straight line. This property of light is called as ‘Rectilinear propagation of light.’

REFLECTION OF LIGHT
The bouncing back of light from any surface into the same medium is called reflection of light.

LAWS OF REFLECTION
1. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
2. The incident ray, reflected ray and normal to the point of incidence lie in the same plane.

TYPES OF REFLECTION

Regular reflection Diffused Reflection

- It takes place from a plane, smooth and highly - It takes place from a rough and bumpy (irregular)
polished surface. surface.
- When parallel rays of light strike a smooth - When parallel rays of light strike an irregular surface,
surface, all the reflected rays are parallel to each all the reflected rays are not parallel to each other.
other.
- Image formed is clear and sharp. - Image is not formed but if it is formed then, the
image is distorted or blurred.
An object with a flat, smooth reflecting surface is called a plane mirror. The plane mirror is made from a
smooth piece of glass. The reflective coating (silver film) is typically applied to the back of the surface of the
glass. This silver layer is then protected from getting scraped by putting a layer of paint on it.

CHARACTERSTICS OF IMAGE FORMED BY PLANE MIRROR

1. The image formed by plane mirror is virtual and erect.
2. The size of an image formed by the plane mirror is always equal to that of the object.
3. The image is as far behind the mirror as the object is in front of it. Distance between the image and
the mirror is always equal to distance between mirror and the object.
4. The images are laterally inverted which means that right side of object appears to be left side of
image and vice versa.

REAL IMAGE VIRTUAL IMAGE

It is formed when the reflected or refracted It is formed when the reflected or refracted
rays actually meet at a point. rays appear to meet at a point.
It is always inverted. It is always erect or upright.

It can be formed on screen. It cannot be formed on a screen.

These images are formed by concave mirror It is formed by concave mirror, convex
and convex lens. mirror, plane mirror, convex lens and
concave lens.

TYPES OF MIRRORS
1.Plane Mirror
2.Spherical Mirror

(a) Convex mirror – a spherical mirror whose reflecting surface is bulged outward.
The rays of light, from a convex mirror, diverge into different directions, hence it is called a diverging mirror.
(b) Concave mirror – a spherical mirror whose reflecting surface is caved inward.
The rays of light falling on a concave mirror converge, and hence it is called as a converging mirror.
 Bulging out surface Caved in surface is
is silvered/polished reflecting

Caved in surface is Bulging out surface

silvered/polished is reflecting

IMAGE FORMED BY CONCAVE MIRROR

When an object is too close to the concave mirror, the image formed is virtual, erect and magnified.
If the object moves away from the concave mirror, image turns upside down (inverted) and is real and
enlarged till the object remains between focus and centre of curvature. As the distance becomes more, the
image remains real and inverted but gradually decreases in size till it becomes very small.

IMAGE FORMED BY CONVEX MIRROR

When the object is anywhere in front of the convex mirror, it always forms a virtual, erect and diminished
image of the object.

FORMATION OF IMAGES IN MIRRORS

TYPE OF MIRROR POSITION OF THE NATURE OF THE IMAGE SIZE OF THE IMAGE
OBJECT
Plane Mirror Anywhere in front of the Virtual and erect Same as that of the
mirror object
Convex Mirror Anywhere in front of the Virtual and erect Diminished(smaller than
mirror the object)
Concave Mirror Very close to the Virtual and erect Magnified(larger than
mirror(between P and F) the object)
At focus No image is seen
Away from the mirror Real and inverted Magnified
(between C and F)
At C Real and inverted Same size as that of
image
 Very far from the mirror Real and inverted Diminished
(beyond C)

USES OF MIRRORS:
Plane Mirror:
a) as looking glass b) To produce false dimension c) In devices like Periscope and Kaleidoscope
Concave Mirror:
a) As dentists mirror to produce magnified image of the tooth.
b) As parabolic reflectors in solar heating devices to concentrate the sun rays.
c) As shaving mirror and make up mirror for it produces erect and magnified image.
d) In headlights and torches to produce a parallel beam of light.
Convex Mirror:
a) As a rear view mirror in automobiles to give a wider view of traffic coming behind as it forms an erect
and diminished image.
b) Used to give a wider view at sharp turnings in hilly areas and parking lots.
c) Used as street light reflectors.
d) Used in stores to keep a check on shoplifters etc.

1. Why is the word AMBULANCE written in a strange manner on the ambulance van?
The word AMBULANCE is written in a laterally inverted manner on the ambulance van so that when the
drivers of a vehicle ahead of the ambulance look in their rear-view mirror, they can read the word correctly
due to lateral inversion and will give way to this emergency service vehicle. The image is laterally inverted
which means that right side of object appears to be left side of image and vice versa when viewed through
mirror.
IN THE REAR-VIEW AS WRITTEN ON THE
MIRROR EMERGENCY VEHICLE

2. A shopkeeper wanted to fix a mirror which will give a maximum view of his shop. What kind of
mirror should be used? Give reason.
A shopkeeper should use a convex mirror to get a diminished, virtual and erect image and wider range of
view.
3. Misha, 152cm tall, is standing at a distance of 1.5m from a plane mirror.
i. If she moves 1m towards the mirror, what will be the distance between her and the image?
Original distance between Nisha and the plane mirror =1.5m
Distance of Nisha from plane mirror when she moved 1m towards it = (1.5-1) m =0.5m
In case of plane mirrors, distance between object and mirror = distance between image and mirror = 0.5 m
Total distance between Nisha and her image = (0.5+0.5) m =1m.
ii. What will be the height of the Nisha’s image?
152cm (Size of the image = Size of object)
iii. State the characteristic properties of plane mirror which helped you to find the solution for
the above problems i) and ii).
The image is as far behind the mirror as the object is in front of it. Distance between the image and the
mirror is always equal to distance between mirror and the object.

4. Which mirror is used as rear-view mirror and why?

Convex mirror is used as rear-view mirror because it always gives virtual, erect and diminished image of the
traffic behind with wider field of view.

5. The side mirror of a scooter got broken. The mechanic replaced it with a plane mirror. Mention any
inconvenience that the driver of the scooter would face while using it.
In plane mirror, size of the image and object is same hence it gives narrower field of view. Thus, the scooterist
won’t be able to see complete view of traffic behind. He should have used a convex mirror for wider field of
view.
6. What is the difference between the virtual image formed by a plane mirror, concave mirror and a
convex mirror?
MIRROR PLANE MIRROR CONCAVE MIRROR CONVEX MIRROR
Nature of image formed Always virtual and erect Virtual and erect (when Virtual and erect
object is placed very
close to mirror)
Size of the image Same size as object Magnified Always diminished

SPHERICAL LENSES
It is a piece of transparent material bound by curved surfaces which make images.
TYPES OF LENSES
1. CONVEX LENS - It is thicker in the middle than the edges.

1. CONCAVE LENS - It is thinner in the middle than the edges.

Convex lens converges the light falling on it to a fixed point, hence it is called a converging lens. It forms
a virtual, erect and magnified image of the object when the lens is placed close to the object. As the
object moves away from the convex lens, it forms a real, inverted and diminished image of the object.
 Concave lens diverges the light falling on it. Hence it is called a diverging lens. This lens always forms a
virtual, erect and diminished image irrespective of the position of the object in front of the lens.

Optical Centre(O)
This is a point on the principal axis of a lens through which light passes without undergoing any deviation.
Principal focus (F)
In spherical lenses, it is the point where the rays parallel to principal axis converge in the case of convex lens
or appear to diverge from in the case of concave lens after refraction.

FORMATION OF IMAGES BY SPHERICAL LENSES

TYPE OF LENS POSITION OF THE NATURE OF THE IMAGE SIZE OF THE IMAGE
OBJECT
Concave lens Anywhere in front of the Virtual and erect Diminished (smaller than
lens the object)
Convex Lens Very close to the lens Virtual and erect Magnified(larger than
(between O and F) the object)
At F No image is formed
Away from the lens Real and inverted Magnified
(between C and F)
At C Real and inverted Same size as object
Very far away from lens Real and inverted Diminished
(beyond C)

USES OF A CONVEX LENS

1. It is used in magnifying lens.
2. It is used in binoculars, cameras, telescopes and microscopes.
3. It is also used in spectacles, to correct vision for people who cannot see near objects clearly.
USES OF CONCAVE LENS
1. It is used in spectacles to correct vision for people who cannot see distant objects clearly.
2. It is also used in peepholes which are fitted in doors of houses to see through them.

7. Differentiate between concave and convex lens

CONCAVE LENS CONVEX LENS
Shape It is thinner in the middle and thicker at It is thicker in the middle and thinner at
the edges. the edges.
Nature It is diverging in nature. It is converging in nature.
Nature of the image It forms virtual image wherever the It forms virtual as well as real image.
formed object is placed.
 8. The distance between an object and a convex lens is changing. It is noticed that the size of the
image formed is decreasing. Is the object moving in a direction towards the lens or away from it?
Since the size of the image is decreasing, therefore the object is being moved away from the lens.

9. Neeraj was focusing the image of the sun on the paper using a magnifying glass and after sometime
he realized that the paper started burning. Explain the reason behind it.
Convex lens being converging in nature focuses a parallel beam of sunlight onto a fixed point on the paper
where all the heat of sun is concentrated and a bright spot is observed. At this spot, the temperature rises
and paper starts burning.

DISPERSION
The phenomenon of splitting of light into its constituent colours. When white light passes through the glass
prism it disperses and splits into seven colours.
VIBGYOR - Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red
This band of seven colours obtained is called SPECTRUM.

10. Why does Newton’s disc appear white when rotated at a high speed?
White light is composed of seven colours – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. A Newton’s disc
is a circular disc divided into seven different sections. Each section is painted with the colours of spectrum in
the order of VIBGYOR. When it is rotated very fast it appears white due to persistence of vision. According to
persistence of vision, the image retains on retina for a fraction of a second (one sixteenth of a second) even
after the object has been removed. Due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, when Newton’s disc is
rotated fast, the images of all seven colours overlap and it appears whitish.

11. Two different types of lenses are placed on a sheet of newspaper. How will you identify them
without touching?
Without touch we can identify two different lenses by looking at the size of the newspaper letters
under the lens. If the image of the letters is large then it is a convex lens because the convex lens
produces a larger image while if letters appear smaller then its concave lens.

12. The given figures show the path of light through lenses of two different types, represented by
rectangular boxes A and B. What is the nature of lenses A and B?
 A B

Lens A is concave lens as the light rays falling on it get diverged after refraction.
Lens B is convex rays as the light rays falling on it get converged after refraction.

13. State the correct sequence (1-7) of colours in the spectrum formed by the prisms A and B, shown
in the following figure.

The dispersion of light takes place when the white light is allowed to pass through the prism which
dispersed into the seven constituent colours which occurs as the lights of the different colours bend
through the different angles when passing through the prism.
When the white light is allowed to pass through the prism then red colour will deviate least and the
violet deviate most.

In prism A, the sequence of colours is as follows:-

1. Red 2. Orange 3. Yellow 4. Green 5. Blue 6. Indigo 7. Violet

Even if the prism the inverted, the red colour will deviate least and the violet deviate most.
In prism B, the sequence of colours is as follows:-
1.Violet 2. Indigo 3. Blue 4. Green 5. Yellow 6. Orange 7. Red