Light - Reflection and Refraction

Science
CLASS - 10th
 About Your Teacher

● Cleared JEE Mains + advanced

● Mentored 1 Lakh+ Students

● Author of Two Books for Class 10th

Prashant Kirad
 What We’ll Provide!

● Lectures

● Top 25 Questions

● Sample Papers
(NCERT Exercises Included)
 Topics We’ll Cover!
● Reflection of Light
● Spherical Mirrors
● Image formation by Concave and Convex Mirror
● Sign Convention
● Magnification Formula
● Refraction of Light
● Refractive Index
 Topics We’ll Cover!

● Spherical Lens
● Image formation by Convex and Concave Lens
● Sign Convention
● Lens Formula
● Power
● Important Questions
Reflection of Light
Reflection
Reflection occurs when a light wave encounters a surface and bounces back.

● Incident Ray: The incoming ray of light

that strikes the surface is called the
incident ray.
● Reflected Ray: The ray that bounces off
the surface is called the reflected ray.
● Normal: The imaginary line perpendicular
to the surface at the point of incidence is
called the normal.
Laws of Reflection
The laws of reflection describe how light
behaves when it encounters a surface and
reflects.
1. Angle of incidence = Angle of reflection
2. Incident ray, normal at the point of
incidence and the reflected ray all lie in
the same plane.

These laws are collectively known as

the laws of reflection.
Characteristics of a image formed by a Plane mirror
1. The image obtained is virtual.
2. The image is laterally inverted.
3. The image is erect.
4. The size of the image is the same as the size of
the object.
5. The distance between the image obtained from
the mirror is the same as the distance between
the object from the mirror.

Uses : Solar cookers, periscope used in submarine, and kaleidoscope.

 Spherical Mirror
Spherical mirrors are mirrors whose reflecting surfaces are part of a sphere.
These mirrors can be either concave or convex, depending on the shape of the
reflecting surface.

Types of Spherical Mirrors:

● Concave Mirror (converging mirror): The

reflecting surface of a concave mirror is curved
inward, like the inner surface of a sphere.
● Convex mirror (diverging mirror) : The
reflecting surface of a convex mirror is curved
outward, like the outer surface of a sphere.
Important Terms :
● Principal Axis: The imaginary line passing
through the center of the mirror, the focal
point, and the object.

● Aperture: An aperture of a mirror or lens is a

point from which the reflection of light
actually happens.

● Pole (P): The point of intersection of the

aperture of the mirror and the principal axis is
called as the pole of the mirror.

● Center of Curvature (C): The center of the

imaginary sphere of which the mirror is a part.
 Important Terms :
● Radius of curvature (R) : The distance
between the center of curvature and pole of
the mirror, is called as the radius of the
curvature.
● Focal Point (F): The point where parallel
rays of light either converge (concave
mirror) or appear to diverge from (convex
mirror).
● Focal Length (f): The distance between the
mirror's surface and its focal point OR half of
the radius of curvature distance
 Rules to obtain a image in spherical mirror
● A ray parallel to the principal axis, after
reflection, will pass through the
principal focus in case of a concave
mirror or appear to diverge from the
principal focus in case of a convex
mirror.

● A ray passing through the principal

focus of a concave mirror or a ray
which is directed towards the principal
focus of a convex mirror, after
reflection, will emerge parallel to the
principal axis.
 Rules to obtain a image in spherical mirror
● A ray passing through the centre of
curvature of a concave mirror or directed
in the direction of the centre of curvature
of a convex mirror, after reflection, is
reflected back along the same path.

● A ray incident obliquely to the principal

axis, towards a point P (pole of the mirror),
on the concave mirror or a convex mirror,
is reflected obliquely. The incident and
reflected rays follow the laws of reflection
at the point of incidence (point P), making
equal angles with the principal axis.
Image formation by Concave Mirror
Position : At Infinity Nature of Image :
Image formation by Concave Mirror
Position : Beyond C Nature of Image :
Image formation by Concave Mirror
Position : At C Nature of Image :
Image formation by Concave Mirror
Position : Between C and F Nature of Image :
Image formation by Concave Mirror
Position : At F Nature of Image :
Image formation by Concave Mirror
Position : Between F and P Nature of Image :
Image formation by Concave Mirror
Uses of Concave Mirrors
Concave Mirror : The reflecting surface of a
concave mirror is curved inward, like the inner
surface of a sphere.

Uses: Shaving mirror, torch, search-lights, in

solar furnace and dentists, etc.
Image formation by Convex Mirror
Position : At Infinity Nature of Image :
Image formation by Convex Mirror
Position : Between infinity and Nature of Image :
the pole of the mirror
Image formation by Convex Mirror
Uses of Convex Mirrors
Convex mirror : The reflecting surface of a convex mirror is curved outward,
like the outer surface of a sphere.

Uses: Rear-view mirror, torch, as security mirror, etc. Convex mirror gives
wider field of view.
 Sign Convention (Important for numericals)
Object distance (u) :
● For objects placed on the same side as
the incident light (usually the left side), the
object distance (u) is considered positive
for both concave and convex mirrors.

● For objects placed on the opposite side of

the incident light (usually the right side),
the object distance (u) is considered
negative for both concave and convex
mirrors.
Sign Convention (Important for numericals)
Image distance (v) :
● For real images formed by concave
mirrors, the image distance (v) is
considered positive.
● For virtual images formed by convex
mirrors, the image distance (v) is
considered positive.
● For images formed on the opposite side
of the incident light, the image distance
(v) is considered negative.
Sign Convention (Important for numericals)

Focal length (f) :

● Focal length (f) is positive for

concave mirrors since the focal point
is on the same side as the incident
light.
● Focal length (f) is negative for
convex mirrors since the focal point
is on the opposite side of the
incident light.
Sign Convention (Important for numericals)

Height of object (h) :

● The height of the object (h) is considered

positive when the object is above the
principal axis.
● The height of the object (h) is considered
negative when the object is below the
principal axis.
Sign Convention (Important for numericals)

Height of image (h’) :

● The height of the image (h') is considered

positive when the image is above the
principal axis.
● The height of the image (h') is considered
negative when the image is below the
principal axis.
Mirror Formula
The mirror formula is a formula used to calculate the focal length of a
spherical mirror.
Magnification Formula
Magnification is defined as the enlargement of the image formed by a mirror,
whether it is a concave mirror or a convex mirror, relative to the size of the
object. It's often denoted by the symbol "m."

The formula for magnification (m) :

It is the ratio of the height of the image

produced by the mirror to the height of
the object produced by the mirror.

In terms of object distance (u) and

image distance, m is given by,
Magnification Formula
● If m>1, the Image size is greater than that of the object and
● If m<1, the image size is less than the object size.
● If magnification is negative, the image formed is real and inverted.
● If magnification is positive, the image formed is virtual and erect.
Important Questions
Q. An object is placed at a distance of 12cm in front of a concave mirror. It forms
a real image four times larger than the object. Calculate the distance of the image
from the mirror.
Q. An object is placed at a distance of 8cm from a convex mirror of focal length
12cm. Find nature and position of image.
Q. An object 2cm tall is placed at 10cm from a diverging mirror of focal length
6cm. Find the size, nature and position of the image.
Q. An object 5cm in length is placed at a distance of 20cm in front of a convex
mirror of radius of curvature 30cm. Find the position of the image, its nature and
size.
Refraction of Light
Refraction
The phenomenon of bending of ray of light when it enters from one medium to
another.

● Incident Ray: The incoming ray of light in

the first medium is called the incident ray.
● Refracted Ray: The ray that bends as it
enters the second medium is called the
refracted ray.
● Normal: As with reflection, the normal is an
imaginary line perpendicular to the surface
at the point of incidence.
 Causes of Refraction
The cause of the refraction of light is that light travels
at different speeds in different media. This change in
the speed of light when it moves from one medium
to another causes it to bend.

● When the light goes from air into water, it bends

towards normal because there is a reduction in
its speed.
● When the light goes from water to air, it bends
away from normal because there is an increase
in the speed of light.
 Laws of Refraction
1. Snell’s Law : The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine
of the angle of refraction is constant.

2. The incident ray refracted ray, and the normal to the interface of two
media at the point of incidence all lie on the same plane.

These laws are collectively known as the laws of refraction.

Refractive Index (n)
The refractive index is a measure of how much light is bent or refracted when it
enters a new medium. It is denoted by the symbol "n."

When taken with respect to a vacuum, it’s known as an absolute refractive index.

The formula for absolute refractive index is given by :

Refractive Index (n)
The refractive index of one medium with respect to another medium is called
the relative refractive index.

The refractive index of medium 2 w.r.t. medium 1 is

given by the ratio of the speed of light in medium 1 and
speed of light in medium 2. It is represented by n21.

The refractive index of medium 1 w.r.t. medium 2 is

given by the ratio of the speed of light in medium 2
and speed of light in medium 1.It is represented by n12
Absolute Refractive Index (n)
Bending Tendency
Refraction through a Rectangular glass slab
● When the incident ray is incident on the surface
of the glass slab from air to the glass making an
angle of incidence i with the normal the refracted
ray bends towards the normal as the ray enters
from rarer to denser medium.
● Now, after traveling the glass slab the refracted
ray makes an angle of refraction r on the other
surface of the glass slab resulting in the
emergent ray which bends away from the normal
as it travels from glass (denser medium) to air
(rarer medium) forming an angle of emergence e
between the emergent ray and normal.
Refraction through a Rectangular glass slab
● The emergent ray is parallel to the incident
ray and the perpendicular distance between
them is called lateral displacement.
● Since the angle of incidence is equal to the
angle of emergence, therefore the emergent
ray is parallel to the incident ray.
● In the glass slab, the light ray gets refracted
two times firstly, from rarer to denser medium
and secondly from denser to rarer medium.
The displacement created in the emergent ray
If the incident ray falls normally to
is due to refraction. the surface of glass slab, then
there is no bending of ray of light;
i.e. it goes straight.
Spherical Lens:
Lenses are transparent objects with curved surfaces that refract light, causing it
to converge or diverge.

Types of Spherical Lens:

1. Convex lens
2. Concave lens
Important Terms :
● Principal Axis: An imaginary line passing
through the center of the lens, perpendicular
to its surface.

● Aperture: The diameter of the circular outline

of a lens is called aperture.

● Optical Center (O): The center point of the

lens through which the principal axis passes.

● Focus: The point where the rays of light

converge or appear to diverge after passing
through the lens.
 Important Terms :
● A lens has two principal foci represented by
F1 and F2.
● The distance of the optical centre from F1 or
F2 represents the focal length (f) of the lens.
● The distance of the optical center from C1
or C2 represents the radius of curvature (R)
of the lens.
● The radius of curvature of a spherical lens
is twice the focal length of the lens.
That is, R = 2f
 Rules to obtain a image in Spherical Lens
● A ray of light from the object, parallel to
the principal axis, after refraction from a
convex lens, passes through the principal
focus on the other side of the lens. In
case of a concave lens, the ray appears to
diverge from the principal focus located
on the same side of the lens.

● A ray of light passing through a principal

focus, after refraction from a convex lens,
will emerge parallel to the principal axis. .
A ray of light appearing to meet at the
principal focus of a concave lens, after
refraction, will emerge parallel to the
principal axis. .
 Rules to obtain a image in Spherical Lens
● A ray of light passing through the optical
centre of a lens will emerge without any
deviation.
Convex Lenses

● A convex lens is thicker in the center than at the edges.

● It converges or brings parallel rays of light passing
through it to a focus.
● Convex lenses are also known as converging lenses.

Uses:
Image formation by Convex Lens
Position : At Infinity Nature of Image :
Image formation by Convex Lens
Position : Beyond 2F1 Nature of Image :
Image formation by Convex Lens
Position : At 2F1 Nature of Image :
Image formation by Convex Lens
Position : Between F1 and 2F1 Nature of Image :
Image formation by Convex Lens
Position : At F1 Nature of Image :
Image formation by Convex Lens
Position : Between F1 and O Nature of Image :
Image formation by Convex Lens
Concave Lenses:

● A concave lens is thinner in the center than at the

edges.
● It diverges or spreads out parallel rays of light passing
through it.
● Concave lenses are also known as diverging lenses.

Uses:
Image formation by Concave Lens
Position : At infinity Nature of Image :
Image formation by Concave Lens
Position : Between infinity and Nature of Image :
optical centre O of the lens
Image formation by Concave Lens
 Sign Convention (Important for numericals)
The sign convention for lens systems, including
convex (converging) and concave (diverging)
lenses, is generally as follows:

● Distances along the direction of incident

light are considered positive, and distances
opposite to the direction of incident light are
considered negative.
● Heights measured upward (in the direction
of the incident light) are considered positive,
and heights measured downward are
considered negative.
Sign Convention (Important for numericals)
Object distance (u) :
● Measured from the object to the lens. It is
positive for an object on the same side as the
incident light and negative for an object on the
opposite side.

Image distance (v) :

● Measured from the image to the lens. It is
positive for an image formed on the opposite
side of the lens (where the incident light is
going), and negative for an image formed on
the same side as the incident light.
 Sign Convention (Important for numericals)
Focal length (f):
● Positive for converging lenses, negative for
diverging lenses.

Height of the object (h):

● Positive if the object is above the principal axis,
negative if below.

Height of the object (h’):

● Positive if the image is above the principal axis,

negative if below.
Lens Formula
Lens formula gives the relationship between object-distance (u), image
distance (v) and the focal length (f). The lens formula is expressed as :
Magnification Formula
The formula for magnification (m) :

It is the ratio of the height of the image

produced by the lens to the height of
the object.

In terms of object distance (u) and

image distance, m is given by,
Magnification Formula
● If m>1, the Image size is enlarged.
● If 0<m<1, the image size is diminished.
● If m=1, the image size is equal to the object size.
● If magnification is negative, the image formed is real and inverted.
● If magnification is positive, the image formed is virtual and erect.
Important Questions
Q. An object is placed at a distance of 15cm from a diverging lens of focal length
6cm, find the nature and position of the image.
Q. An object is placed at a distance of 10cm from a converging lens of focal
length 5cm, find the nature and position of the image.
Q. Refractive index of glass with respect to water is 5/4 and the refractive index
of water with respect to air is 4/3, what is the refractive index of glass with respect
to air?
Q. Calculate angle of incidence of light ray incident on surface of a plastic slab of
refractive index V3, if angle of refraction is 30 degree.
Q.
Power
Power of a Lens
Ability of a lens to converge or diverge light rays is called power (P).

SI Unit: Dioptre (D) or m-1

Power for convex lens : Positive as focal length for convex lens is also positive.

Power for concave lens : Negative as focal length for concave lens is also
negative.
Important Questions
Q. A concave lens produces an image 20cm from the lens of an object placed
30cm from the lens. Calculate the power of the lens.
Thankyou!!