CHAPTER - 10

LIGHT-REFLECTION

&REFRACTION

enable us to see the object.

Light is a form ofenergy, which using the
In this chapter we will study the phenomena of
reflection and refraction
wave travel from
one point too
line propagation (Light
property of light i.e. straight
another, along a straight line).
Reflection of Light most of
on highly polished
surface, such as miror,
When the light is allowed to fall
nomal
the light gets reflected.

Laws ofReflection
1. The angle ofincidence always
is equal to Reflected
ray
angle of reflection. Incident
ray

and the
2 The incident ray, reflected ray
surface at the
normal to the reflecting T T T T T T T T T T T 7 7 7 T T T T T

incidence lie in the same plane. Points of incidences

point of
Mirror (Plane reflecting surface)
Image formed by Plane
Plane Mirror

lmage
Object

The image that do not form on

1) Virtual (imaginary) & Erect (Virtual
Screen.)
side of image)
2) Laterally inverted (The left side ofobject appear right
on

3) The size of image is equal to that ofobject

96 Xx-Science
 it.
is in front ot
4. image formed is as forbchind the mirroras thc objcct
The
Reflection oflight by spherical Mirrors
are
curved inward or outward spherically
whose retlecting surface are
Mrors.
called spherical mirror.
be considered
For example -

Spoon The curved surface ofshinning spoon c a n

as curved mirror.

Ifit is curved inward Act as concave miror

Act as a convex mirror.

Ifit is curved outward

Reflecting Reflecting
side
side

Convex
Concavee
mirror
Mirror
OR DIVERGINGG
OR CONVERGING
MIRROR
MIRROR

Few Basic terms related to Spherical Mirror

Radius of curvature

Principal R Concave
Axis F f Mirror
focal length

Radius of curvature
R
Principal
Axis F
focal length
Convex
Mirror
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 Principal avis: l ine joining the pole and centreofcurvature of the spherica
miror.
Pole: The geomctrical central point of the reflecting spherical surtace
(aperture). denoted by (P).
Aperture: The width ofrelecting spherical surface.
mirror form a part
4
Centre of eurvature: The reflecting surface ofa spherical of curvature, denoted by
of sphere. It has a centre, which is known as centre

(C)
of
between the pole and the centre
Radius of curvature The separation
curvature. ic. PC=R
where all parallel rays meet
6. Focus point : The point on the principal axis,
afterreflection, denoted by (F)
7. Focal length: Thelength between thepole and focus point i.e.PF=f
8. Relationship between focal length and Radius ofcurvature.
F-

Image formation by spherical Mirror

let us go through few tips
Belore we learn the formation ofimage or ray diagram,
is parallel to principle axis always pass
a) Remember, A say of light which
vice-versa
through focus (meet at focus) or

Principal C F PrincipalC
Axis Axis CONCAVE
CONCAVE MIRROR
MIRROR

Principal C
Axis
CONVEX MIRROR
Appcar as if coming
from focus pt in case of convex mirror

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 Principal
Axis

b) A ray of light which passes through centre curvature (it

of is also known as
their path
nomal at the point of incidence on spherical
mirror) will retrace
after reflection

Pole (P)
CONCAVE
Principal MIRROR
Axis

CONVEX
Principal MIRROR
Axis

reflected at the same angie on the otherside

of
c) Arayoflight failing on pole get
principal axis.

i r

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 Nofe A ray of light passes through centre of cus-valeric rcflecting spherICA
the normal We
surtace is always act as normal at the point ofincidencc. If we know
can draw angle ofincidence and angle ofreflection

i n c i d e n c e

(passing
at pt
of
c)
through

meels at apoinl. Imagee

form when two or more rays
will only
Note: The image
concave miror for
different position ofthe object
formation by a
Position of Nature
. Obiect mage Real and
At intinity P At focus Inverted

Size of
Image
Highly diminished
(point size)

Position of Nature
2 Object
Beyond C
lmage
Between F&C
Real and
Inverted
objcc
Image Size of
Image
Small

Position of Nature
3. Obiect Image Real and
AtC AtC Inverted
BB Size of
Image
Same Size
of object

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 4. Obicct ir
Between C&F Nature
Object Position of Rcal and
Image
Beyond C Inverted
Inmage
SizcofImage
Enlarged
i=
Obiect
AtF Position of Nature
Image Real and
At (infinity) Inverted
F
Size of Image
Highly enlarged
*7

6. Obiect
Between F&P A

(Special Case)
C
Position of Image Nature
Behind the mirror Virtual
and
Size of Image Erect
Enlarged

Image formation by Convex Mirror

. Object
At infinity

Position of Image Size of Image

At focus
Highly diminished Nature
Virtual & erect

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1. Objcct
Anywhere betwecn
infinity and pole A
of the miror A

B B F

Size of Image Nature

Position of Image Very small
Virtual & erect
Between P&F

Uses of Concave Mirror

Used in torches, search light and headlight ofvehicle.
mirror
2. Used large image offace as shaving
to see
teeth
3 Used by dentist to see large images ofthe
furnaces.
focus sunlight (heat) in solar
4. Large concave mirror used to
Uses of Convex Mirror
vehicles because it gives erect image. It also helps
. Used as rear-view mirror in
the driver to view large area.
Reflection by Spherical Mirror
Sign Convention for
left side of mirror.
. The object is always placed to the
from pole(P); parallel to principal axis.
2. Ali distance should be measured
3. Take 'P'as origin. Distances measured
taken positive
Right ofthe origin (+x -Axis) are
Left ofthe origin (-X-Axis) are taken negative
are taken positive
Perpendicular to and above principal axis (+y-Axis)
are taken negative
Perpendicular to and below principal axis(-y-Axis)
|+y

(Cartesian system)

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MIRROR FORMULA
fdistance between Fand Pole
v
distance of image from Pole
distance of objcct from Polc
where R distance between centre of curvature and pole.
MAGNIFICATION
t is
expressed as the ratio of the
height of the image to height of the object
height of image h'
height of objecth
It is also
related to 'u' and'v'
m=
from l and 2 equation
where h' image height from principle axis
h Object height from principle axis.

Itmagnitude m> 1 Image is magnified

m Image is of same size
mi Image is dimirushed

Few tips to remember sign convention for Spherical mirror

Object height(b) always positive Image height ( h ) { Real - negative

Virtual - positive
Object distance from pole (u) is always negative
Real - Image
Image distance from pole (v) always negative
Virtual Image always positive
-

Focal length (O Concave mirror alwaysnegative

JConvex mirror- always positive
REFRACTIONOFLIGHT
Refraction of Light : Happens in Transparent medium when a light travels from
one medium to anoiher, refraction takes
place.
Aray of light bends as it moves from one medium to another

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Refraction is due to
medium to another. change in the speed of light as it enters from one
Speed of light decreascs as the beamof transpar
medium. light travel from rarer medium to thc denser

normal normal
Incident
Ray Raver medium Denser medium

Denser medium
Rarer medium

Refracted Ray
When ray travel from
Rarer to Denser it bends When ray travel from denser to
towards normal after refraction
rarer medium it bends away
from nomnal
Some Commonly observed
phenomenon due to Refraction
1. The stone at the bottom
of water tub appear to be raised.
2 Afish kept in aquarium
appear to be bigger than its actual size.
3. Apencil partially immersed in water appears to be displaced at the interface of
air and water.

Refraction through a
Rectangular Glass Slab
N
Incident ray
Air (Rarer Medium)

Glass
(Denser
Medium)
N
M
Here light ray changes is Air (Rarer Medium)
direction at O and O', the
point at the interface of
(Refracted Ray)>
--- -
transparent medium.

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When a ncident ray of light A0 passes from a rarer medium (air) to a denSe

medium (glass) at point. (0 on interface AB, it will bends towards the normal.
0. on interface DC the light ray entercd from denser medium (glass) to rare
medum (air) lhere the light ray will bend away from normal O0'is arefracted ray
OB 1s an emergent ray. If the incident ray is cxtended to C, we will observe that
lateraliy
will slightly displaced
emergent ray O'B is parallel to incident ray. The ray
atter refraction.
media it wil
to the interface oftwo
Note: When a ray of light is incident normally
go straight, without any deviation.
Laws of refraction of light-
normal to the of two
interface
h e ncident ray,. the refracted ray and theall lie in the same plane.
transparent media at the point ofincidence,
of refraction is a
of of incidence to the sine of angle
2. The ratio of sine angle
constant ie.
Sin i E
constant
Sin r (r)

law is also known as Snells Law

for given colour and pair of media, this
It is the refractive
index for a given pair of medium.
Constant n is the refractive
to first medium.
second medium with respect
index ofthe Where 2 is for second

Sini
Sinr n , n
medium and 1 is for first
medium

Refractive Index
with respect is air is given by
ratio of speed of light in
The refractive index ofglass
air to the speed oflight in glass.
Speed of light in air
n Speed of light in glass

3» 10° m/s
Speed oflight in vacuum
=

C
less, compared to that in
vacuum.

speed of light in air is marginally

Refractive index of air with respect to glass given by
is

air Specd oflightin glass

g glass - Speed of light in air

105 X-Science
 index
The absolute refiactive index of a medium is simply called refractive
Speed of light in air
in the medium
V
Spccd of light
Refractive index of water (n,) = 1.33

Refractive index of glass (n,) =1.52

are
Spherical Lens one or both surBaces
by two surface, of which
A transparent material bound
spherical. foms a lens.
CONVEXLENS outwards, is
A lens may have two spherical surfaces, bulging
convex lens.
callcd double convex lens (or simply
the light.
lens becauseitconverges
ltis also known as converging
CONCAVE LENS is
curved inwards
A lens bounded by twospherical surfaces,
concave lens)
known as double concave
lens (or simply
the light.
lens because it diverges
It is also known as diverging
to spherieal lens.
Few Basic Terms related

Convex
Lens
Principal C
Axis F or (2F.)
or (2F,) Opticalcentre (O)

-R Optical centre (O)

Concave
Principal Lens
Axis C F

106 X-Science
 lens has Two
Centre A lens, cither a convex lens or a concave
of curvature -

The CCntrc or
spherical surlaces. Each ofthese surfaces fornm a part sphcre.
ol
C, and
these twospheresarecalledcentre ofcurvalure represented by

line passing through the

two centres o
Prineipal avis - Imaginary straight
curvature
A ray of
is its optical centre (O).
.Optical Centre The central point oflens
-

undeviated i.c. it goes straight.

when passes through 'O' it remains
light. lens.
4. Aperture-The effective diameter of the circular ouline ofaspherical
is principal afier axis, refraction from
5. oflens- Beamoflight parallel
Focus
axis, denotcd by ,
the point on principal
1) Convex lens, converge to
known as Principal focus

Principal Axis

axis, known
Concave lens, appear to diverge
from a point on the principal
2)
as principal focus.

Principal
Axis
F

The distancc OF, and OF, is

called as focal length

Tips for drawing Ray diagram F.

to principal axis will pass through
a) After refraction, ray parallel
a

Principal
Axis
F

(Converge) (Diverge)

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 to principal ax1s.
b) Aray passes through F, afterrefraction will cmerge parallcl

Principai
AxIs
Prineipal
Axis

centre '0', paeses

without any deviation.
C) Aray passes through optical

Principal
Axis
F

lens for various position ofobject

Image fornmation by
a convex

Position of Image Nature

Real &
1 Obiect At focus
inverted
At infinity F
Size ofImage
Highly
2F diminished
(point size)

Object Nature
Beyond 2F, Position of Image Real&
Between F, & 2F,
nverted

Size of Image
Small
B 2F F

3 Object
At 2F,
Position of lmage Nature
At 2F Real &
Inverted

2 2F Size ofInage
Same size of
object

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. Object Position of Image Nature
Beyond 2F Real&
Between , & 2F,
inverted

SizcofImage
Enlarged

Obiect Position of Image Nature

5 Real &
At focusF at infinity
inverted

Size of Image
Highly Enlarged

2F

Size ofImage Nature

6. (Special Case)
Eniarged Vinual&
Object Erect
Between F, and
optical centre '0'
2F
Position ofImage
On the same
side of the
object

Image formation by concave lens

Position of Image Nature
1. Obiect At F Virtual &
Alt infinity Erect
Sizeof image
Highly Diminished

2F

J09 X-Science
 Objcet Position of Image Nature
Betwcen F, & O Virtual
Between infinity
& Erect
and optical centre
(at any point)
SizcofImage
Very smal

2F,

lens
Sign Convention for Refraction by spherical all the measurement
the difference is that
Similar to that ofspherical mirror, only
centre'O'
aremade from optical |ty-axisS

O
+X-axis
X-axis

-y-axis
.

LENS FORMULA optical centre

O
'O'
f- distance between F and
distance of object from
'O'
u-

v - distance of image from 'O

- distance between centre

of curvature & 'O'

MAGNIFICATION

It is defined as the ratio

ofthe height ofimage to the height offobject.
h- image height
from principal axis
m
height ofimage
height of object -- 0 h-object height
from principal axis

It is also related to 'u' & 'v'

-
110 X-Science
 From cquation ()&

I fmagnitude of m Image is magnificd

m- Image is of same siZe

m Image is deminishcd

convention for spherical lens

Few tips to remember sign
Objcct height(h) is always positive
is always negative
Image height (h) Kea is always positive
Virtual
is always negative
Object distance from optical centre(u)
Real positive
Image distance from optical centre(v) virtual negative

Convex lens is always positive

Focal length( Concave lens is always negative

Power of Lens
by a lens is known
or divergence of light ray achieved
The degree of convergence
as powerofa lens.
P
ofits focal length Represented by
It is difined as the reciprocal
then
It fis given in meter.
P
then
It fis given in cm,
P
100

'D'
SI unit of power of a lens is "dioptre" denoted by

focal length is Im
dioptre or ID It is the power of lens whose

ID OR |ID= Im

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Power convex lens or converging lens is always positive

f i s tvc

diverging lens is always negalive

Power of concave lens or

fis -ve

will be
net power
instrument have many lens, then
Ifany optical
P P, +P, + Pyr

EXERCISE

(Question Bank)
Mark)
Very
ShortAnswers Type Questions (I
reflection?
is 0°, what is the angleof
1. Ifthe angle ofincidence mirror if the magnification
of image formed
nature
by concave

2. What is the
the mirror is +3?
produced by
mirror?
Give two uses ofconcave is 30 cm?
3.
c o n v e x mirror,
whose radius ofcurvature
Find the focal iength ofa
4. spherical mirror?
What do you
understand by magnification ofa length f.
5. lens of focal
focus of a concave

held at the principal

6. An object is form?
Where the image will
incidence and angle ofrefection.
Show the angle of

8. Complete the ray diagram.

2
2

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112
 Define the Sl unit of powerof lens.
10. When light undergocs refraction at the surface of seperation of two media,
what happens to speed of light.
Short Answer Type Questions (2-3 Marks)
1 What do you understand by refraction of light. Draw the labelled ray
diagram, when ray passes throughglass slab.
m/s.
2 h e refractive index
T ofglass is 1.54 and thc spced oflight in air is 3x10
Calculate the speed oflight in water?
A convex mirror uscd on an automobile has a length of 6m. If vehicle
focal
behind is at a distance of 12m. Find the nature and location ofimage.
(4m, virtual erect small)
10 cm from the lens.
4. A concave lens of focal length 15cm, fornms an image
How far is the object placed from the lens? Draw
the ray diagram?
in contact. Find the
5. Two thin lens of power +3.5D and 2.5D are placed (p=+10,f=Im)
lcns arc in combination.
power and focal length, ifthe
refractive index ofa medium.
6. What are the law ofrefraction. Define

Very LongAnswerType Questions (5 Marks) when

formed by concave mirror,
1. Draw the ray diagranm, showing the image
object is placed at
a) at infinity b) between F22F
At2F
d AtF
c)
e) between F&P
formed by convex lens. when
2. Draw the ray diagram, showing the image
object is placed at.
b) between F, & 2F
a) Atinfinity
c) At2F, d) Beyond 2F
between F, & optical centre 'O"
e)