Student Name-

Atul Vishwakarma
• Light is the form of energy that enables us to see.
Properties of Light
• Electromagnetic wave, so does not require any medium to travel.
• Light tends to travel in straight line.
• Light has dual nature i.e., wave as well as particle.
• Light casts shadow.
• Speed of light is maximum in vaccum. Its value is 3 × 108 ms-1.
• When light falls on a surface, following may happen :
(a) Reflection
(b) Refraction
(c) Absorption

REFLECTION
Bouncing back of light when it strikes on a polished surface like mirror.

Laws of Reflection :
(1) Angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
(2) The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal at the point of incidence,
all lie in the same plane.
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 Image : It is a point where atleast two light rays actually meet or appear to
meet.
Real Image Virtual Image
• Formed when light rays actually • Formed when light rays appear to
meet. meet.
• Can be obtained on screen. • Can’t be obtained on screen.
• Inverted • Erect
• E.g., image formed on cinema • E.g., image formed by plane mirror
screen. or convex mirror.
Image Formed by Plane Mirror

Characteristics of Image
(i) Virtual and erect.
(ii) Size of image is equal to the size of object.
(iii) Image is formed as far behind the mirror as the object is in front of it.
(iv) Laterally inverted.
Lateral Inversion : The right side of the object appears left side of the image
and vice-versa.
Application of lateral inversion : The word AMBULANCE is written as
so that it can be read correctly in rear view mirror of vehicles going
in front of it.
Spherical Mirrors : Mirrors whose reflecting surface is curved.
Convex Mirror Concave Mirror
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• Reflecting surface is curved outwards. • Reflecting surface is curved inwards.
• Diverging mirror • Converging mirror

• Principal axis : The line joining the pole and center of curvature.
• Pole (P) : The centre of the spherical mirror.
• Aperture (MN) : It is the effective diameter of the spherical mirror.
• Center of Curvature (C) : The centre of the hollow glass sphere of
which the mirror was a part.
• Radius of Curvature (R) : The distance between the pole and the centre
of curvature.
• Focus (F) : The point on principal axis where all the parallel light rays
actually meet or appear to meet after reflection.
• Focal length (f) : The distance between the pole and the focus.
Relationship between focal length and radius of curva-
ture :
R
f =
2

Rules for making ray diagrams by concave mirror

(i) A ray parallel to the principal axis will pass through the principal focus,
after reflection.
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(ii) A ray passing through the principal focus of concave mirror will emerge
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parallel to principal axis after reflection.

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 (iii) A ray of light passing through the centre of curvature of a concave
mirror is reflected back along the same path as it is a normally incident
ray.

(iv) A ray incident obliquely to the principal axis of a concave mirror is

reflected obliquely making equal angle.

Ray diagrams for images formed by concave mirror

(i) When object is at infinity : Image
Position − At ‘F’
Nature – Real, inverted
Size – Point sized or highly
diminished

(ii) When object is beyond ‘C’ Image

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Position – Between ‘F’ and ‘C’

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Nature – Real, inverted

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Size – Diminished
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(iii) When object is at ‘C’ Image
Position – At ‘C’
Nature – Real, inverted
Size – Same size as that of
object

(iv) When object is placed between ‘F’ and ‘C’ Image

Position – Beyond ‘C’
Nature – Real, inverted
Size – Enlarged

(v) When object is placed at ‘F’ Image

Position – At Infinity
Nature – Real, inverted
Size – Highly enlarged

Position – Behind the mirror
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Nature – Virtual, erect

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Size – Enlarged
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Uses of Concave Mirror
(i) Used in torches, search lights and vehicles headlights to get powerful
parallel beam of light.

(ii) Concave mirrors are used by dentists to see large image of teeth of
patients. (Teeth have to be placed between pole and focus).

(iii) Concave mirror is used as shaving mirror to see a larger image of the
face.
(iv) Large concave mirrors are used to concentrate sunlight to produce heat
in solar furnace.
Rule for image formation by Convex Mirror
(i) A ray of light parallel to the principal axis of a convex mirror appear to
diverge from the principal focus.

(ii) A ray which is directed towards the focus of the convex mirror will
emerge parallel to the principal axis after reflection.
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 (iii) A ray directed towards the center of curvature of a convex mirror is
reflected back along the same.

(iv) A ray incident obliquely to the principal axis is reflected obliquely.

Ray diagrams of images formed by convex mirror

(i) When object is placed at infinity : Image
Position − At ‘F’
Nature – Virtual, erect
Size – Point sized

(ii) When object is placed between pole and infinity Image

Position – Between ‘P’ and ‘F’
Nature – Virtual, erect
Size – Diminished
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A full length image of a tall building/tree can be seen in a small convex

mirror.
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Uses of Convex Mirror

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(i) Convex mirrors are used as rear view mirrors in vehicles because
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 (a) they always give an erect though diminished image.
(b) they have a wider field of view as they are curved outwards.

(ii) Convex mirrors are used at blind turns and on points of merging traffic
to facilitate vision of both side traffic.
(iii) Used in shops as security mirror.
Sign Convention for Reflection by Spherical Mirror
Or
New Cartesian Sign Convention
(i) The object is placed to the left of the mirror.
(ii) All distances parallel to the principal axis are measured from the pole of
the mirror.
(iii) All distances measured in the direction of incident ray (along + X-axis)
are taken as positive and those measured against the direction of incident
ray (along – X-axis) are taken as negative.
(iv) Distance measured perpendicular to and above the principal axis are
taken as positive.
(v) Distances measured perpendicular to and below the principal axis are
taken as negative.

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• Object distance = ‘u’ is always negative.

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•
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Focal length of concave mirror = Negative

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• Focal length of convex mirror = Positive

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Mirror Formula :
1 1 1
+ =
v u f

Height of image
m=
Height of object

hi
m=
ho

v
m= −
u

If ‘m’ is negative, image is real.

If ‘m’ is positive, image is virtual.
If hi = ho then m = 1, i.e., image is equal to object.
If hi > hi then m > 1 i.e., image is enlarged.
If hi < ho then m < 1 i.e., image is diminished.
• Magnification of plane mirror is always + 1.
‘+’ sign indicates virtual image.
‘1’ indicates that image is equal to object’s size.
• If ‘m’ is ‘+ve’ and less than 1, it is a convex mirror.
• If ‘m’ is ‘+ve’ and more than 1, it is a concave mirror.
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• If ‘m’ is ‘-ve’, it is a concave mirror.

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Check Your Knowledge

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1. Magnification of plane mirror is + 1. What does it indicate ?

2. A real image, 1/5 th size of object is formed at a distance of 18 cm from
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a mirror. What is the nature of the mirror ? Calculate its focal length.
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