LIGHT

Light is the form of energy that makes things visible to us. When you look into a plane mirror, we
see a reflection of ourselves. This happens because light passes from you to the mirror and reflects
back to our eyes.

Luminous and illuminated(non-luminous) objects:

Any object that generates light is called a luminous object.

Most objects around us are illuminated. They appear bright because light falls on them.

• Examples of luminous bodies include; Sun, Stars, Torch, Laser, Bulb, Tube light, Fireflies, Jellyfish
etc.
• Examples of non-luminous bodies include the moon, pen, pencil, chair, humans etc

Transparent, Translucent and Opaque

Objects are either; transparent, translucent, or opaque depending on the amount of light that is
able to pass through them.

Objects that are transparent look clear as light passes through them, so you can see through them.
Objects that are translucent only let some light through.
Objects that are opaque do not allow light to pass through them.

Examples:

• Transparent: Clean glass, water, air.

• Translucent: Frosted glass, wax paper, butter paper, smoke.
• Opaque: Stone, metal, wood.

Reflection of light:

The phenomenon in which light falling on a surface of an object bounces back from the surface of
the object is called the reflection of light.

When light strikes a smooth surface such as that of a plane mirror, it gets reflected in a regular
manner, thus called a regular reflection (specular reflection).
Light falling on a rough surface gets scattered in different directions. This is known as diffused
reflection (diffuse scattering).

The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence equals the
angle of reflection,
i = r. It works for any angle. For example:
the angle of reflection is 30° if the angle of incidence is 30°
Reflection of Light on Plane Mirrors: When light falls on a plane mirror, it is reflected according to
the laws of reflection. The laws of reflection are as follows:

1. The incident ray, the normal to the mirror at the point of incidence, and the reflected ray all lie in
the same plane.

2. The angle of incidence io is equal to the angle of reflection ro. These laws can be better
understood with the help of a diagram: In the above diagram, the incident ray is the light ray that
strikes the mirror.

The point where it strikes the mirror is called the point of incidence. The normal is a line
perpendicular to the surface of the mirror at the point of incidence. The reflected ray is the light ray
that bounces off the mirror after striking it. The angle of incidence is the angle between the incident
ray and the normal, and the angle of reflection is the angle between the reflected ray and the
normal. Some important points to remember about reflection of light on plane mirrors are:

1. The image formed by a plane mirror is virtual, upright, and of the same size as the object.

2. The image is located behind the mirror, at the same distance as the object is in front of the mirror.

3. The image is laterally inverted, which means that it appears flipped horizontally. For example, if
you hold up your right hand in front of a plane mirror, the image will show your left hand.

4. Multiple mirrors can be used to create complex images. For example, two mirrors can be placed
at an angle to create a kaleidoscope.

Applications of Reflection of Light on Plane Mirrors:

1. Rearview mirrors: The mirrors in cars and other vehicles are plane mirrors. They help the driver to
see what is behind the vehicle without turning around.

2. Periscopes: Periscopes are used in submarines and tanks to enable people to see what is
happening outside the vehicle without exposing themselves to danger.

3. Kaleidoscopes: As mentioned earlier, kaleidoscopes use multiple mirrors to create beautiful

patterns and designs.

4. Microscopes and telescopes: Mirrors are used in microscopes and telescopes to magnify and
focus the light. Real vs Virtual Image
 Instructions to Draw the Ray Diagram for an Image Formed by a Plane Mirror

1. Draw the Mirror

Draw a vertical straight line and label it as "Mirror."
Mark the reflective side by shading or hatching on the opposite side.
2. Place the Object
Mark a dot in front of the mirror (e.g., 5 cm away) and label it as "Object."
3. Mark the Normal Line
Choose two points on the mirror where rays from the object will strike.
At each of these points, draw a dashed line perpendicular to the mirror and label it as
"Normal."
4. Draw Two Incident Rays
o First Ray: Draw a ray from the object to the mirror, making an angle of 40° with
the normal.
o Second Ray: Draw another ray from the object to the mirror, making an angle
of 20° with the normal.
5. Draw Reflected Rays
Using the Law of Reflection, draw the reflected rays.
Ensure the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence for both rays.
6. Trace Back the Reflected Rays
Extend the reflected rays behind the mirror as dashed lines until they intersect.
7. Locate the Image
The intersection point of the dashed lines behind the mirror is the location of the
virtual image.
Mark a dot at this point and label it as "Image."
Ensure the image is the same distance behind the mirror as the object is in front.
8. Add the Eye Position
Draw an eye symbol in front of the mirror where the reflected rays move towards. This
shows where the observer sees the image.
9. Label Everything
Clearly mark the angles of incidence (e.g., ∠i₁, ∠i₂) and reflection (e.g., ∠r₁, ∠r₂).
Ensure all elements, including the object, image, mirror, and normals, are properly
labeled.

Image

An image is an optical representation of an object. An image can be either real or virtual.

The images that can be formed on a screen or called real images.
The images that cannot be formed on the screen are called virtual images.
The human eyes and eyes of other animals produce images with the help of lens.

NB: A real image is formed by the actual convergence of light rays after reflection. Real images can
be viewed on a screen.
 A virtual image is the apparent convergence of diverging light rays after reflection. Virtual images
cannot be viewed on a screen.

Refraction

Refraction is a fundamental concept in physics that describes the bending of light when it
travels from one medium to another of a different refractive index.

Refractive Index: The refractive index of a medium is a measure of how much the speed of
light is reduced when it travels through that medium compared to the speed of light in
vacuum.

It is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in the medium.
The refractive index is denoted by the symbol n, and its unit is dimensionless. The formula
for the refractive index is:

n = c/v

where c is the speed of light in vacuum (3 x 10^8 m/s)

and v is the speed of light in the medium.

Snell's Law: Snell's law describes the relationship between the angle of incidence and the
angle of refraction when light travels from one medium to another.
It states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of
refraction is constant for a given pair of media.

The formula for Snell's law is:

n1 sinθ1 = n2 sinθ2

where n1 and n2 are the refractive indices of the two media, and θ1 and θ2 are the angles of
incidence and refraction, respectively.

Total Internal Reflection: Total internal reflection occurs when a ray of light passes from a
medium of higher refractive index to a medium of lower refractive index at an angle greater
than the critical angle. At this angle, the angle of refraction is 90 degrees, and all the light is
reflected back into the higher refractive index medium.

The formula for the critical angle is:

sin θc = n2 / n1
 where θc is the critical angle, n1 is the refractive index of the medium of higher refractive
index, and n2 is the refractive index of the medium of lower refractive index.

Applications of Refraction:

Refraction has several practical applications in daily life, such as lenses, prisms, and mirages.

A convex lens is thicker in the center and thinner at the edges, and it converges parallel rays
of light to a focal point.

A concave lens is thinner in the center and thicker at the edges, and it diverges parallel rays
of light.

A prism is a triangular-shaped glass or plastic object that refracts light and separates it into
its constituent colors.

Mirages are optical illusions caused by the bending of light through layers of air of different
densities.

Image Formation: When light passes through a lens, it is refracted and forms an image.

The position and nature of the image depends on the type of lens and the distance between
the object and the lens.

The image formed by a convex lens is real, inverted, and smaller than the object when the
object is placed beyond the focal point.

When the object is placed between the lens and the focal point, the image formed is virtual,
upright, and larger than the object.

The image formed by a concave lens is always virtual, upright, and smaller than the object.

Dispersion
Dispersion is defined as the spreading of
white light into its full spectrum of
wavelengths (red, orange, yellow, green,
blue, indigo and violet). Dispersion occurs
whenever there is a process that changes
the direction of light in a manner that
depends on wavelength. Rainbows are
produced by a combination of refraction
and reflection and involve the dispersion
of sunlight into a continuous distribution
of colors.
Monochromatic Light
Monochromatic light is light of a single wavelength or color.
It consists of a single frequency or a very narrow range of frequencies.
Examples include light from lasers, specific spectral lines from gas discharge lamps, and filtered
light from a narrow band of wavelengths.

Dispersion of Monochromatic Light

Monochromatic light does not undergo dispersion when passing through a prism or diffraction
grating.
Since it consists of a single wavelength, there is no separation of colors or wavelengths.
The monochromatic light beam emerges from the prism or grating undeviated, except for a
slight change in the direction due to refraction or diffraction.

Any observed spreading or broadening of the monochromatic beam is due to diffraction effects,
not dispersion caused by different wavelengths.
 Lenses

A lens is a transparent object with at least one curved surface that can refract light and form an image.
There are two types of lenses: converging (convex) lenses and diverging (concave) lenses.

Converging lenses converge (bring together) light rays that are parallel to its principal axis. The point
where these rays converge is known as the focal point. The distance between the lens and the focal point
is known as the focal length (f).

Diverging lenses diverge (spread out) light rays that are parallel to its principal axis. The rays appear to
come from a focal point on the same side of the lens as the object, and the distance between the lens
and the focal point is known as the focal length (f).

The three rays rule for a converging lens is a method used to draw a ray diagram to locate the position,
size, and nature of the image formed by a converging lens. The three rays used in this rule are:
1. A ray of light parallel to the principal axis that passes through the focal point on the other side of the
lens. This ray bends and passes through the focal point on the same side of the lens as the object.
2. A ray of light passing through the center of the lens, which is not bent and continues in a straight line.
3. A ray of light passing through the focal point on the same side of the lens as the object. This ray emerges
from the lens parallel to the principal axis.
 H/W

1. Distinguish between long-sightedness and short-sightedness.

2. Give a detailed description on how converging and diverging lens are used in correcting long-

sightedness and short-sightedness. Draw diagrams to show.

Short-sightedness
Short-sightedness (myopia) and near-sightedness (myopia) are the same condition, characterized by
the inability to see distant objects clearly, while near objects remain in focus. This occurs when the
eye's refractive power is too high, causing light rays to converge in front of the retina instead of
directly onto it.
The correction for myopia in physics involves the use of concave (diverging) lenses, which diverge
the incoming light rays, effectively moving the focal point further back onto the retina. These lenses
have a negative focal length and are thinner at the center than at the edges.
Concave lenses are used in eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct myopia by diverging the light rays
entering the eye, allowing them to focus correctly on the retina, thereby improving distance vision.

Longsightedness (hyperopia)
Longsightedness (hyperopia) is a condition where the eye is unable to focus on near objects clearly,
while distant objects may appear clear. This occurs when the eye's refractive power is too low,
causing light rays to converge behind the retina instead of directly onto it.
The correction for hyperopia in physics involves the use of convex (converging) lenses, which
converge the incoming light rays, effectively moving the focal point forward onto the retina. These
lenses have a positive focal length and are thicker at the center than at the edges.
Convex lenses are used in eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct hyperopia by converging the light
rays entering the eye, allowing them to focus correctly on the retina, thereby improving near vision.
 Electromagnetic Spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum encompasses all types of electromagnetic radiation, ranging from
low-frequency radio waves to high-energy gamma rays. It includes the following main regions, listed
in order of increasing frequency and decreasing wavelength:

Radio Waves: These waves have the lowest frequency and longest wavelength in the electromagnetic
spectrum. They are commonly used for radio and television transmissions, as well as in radar
technology.
Microwaves: With slightly higher frequencies and shorter wavelengths than radio waves, microwaves
find applications in satellite communication, mobile (cell) phones, and microwave ovens for cooking.
Infrared Radiation: This region lies beyond microwaves and is associated with heat radiation. Infrared
radiation is used in remote controllers for televisions, thermal imaging cameras, and various
industrial processes.
Visible Light: The only region of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to the human eye, visible light
consists of different colors with varying wavelengths. It enables vision and is utilized extensively in
photography and optical communication.
Ultraviolet Radiation: Beyond the visible spectrum, ultraviolet (UV) radiation has higher frequencies
and shorter wavelengths. Applications include detecting counterfeit banknotes and sterilization
processes. However, excessive exposure to UV radiation can cause damage to skin cells and eyes,
leading to conditions such as skin cancer and eye disorders.
X-rays: X-rays have even higher frequencies and shorter wavelengths than UV radiation. They are
widely used in medical imaging techniques such as X-ray radiography and CT scans, as well as in
security scanners for screening objects and luggage.
Gamma Rays: With the highest frequencies and shortest wavelengths in the electromagnetic
spectrum, gamma rays are associated with nuclear processes and high-energy phenomena. They are
used in medical treatments for cancer, as well as in various industrial and scientific applications.

Speed of Electromagnetic Waves:

All electromagnetic waves travel at the same high speed in a vacuum, which is approximately
3.0×108m/s.
In air and other transparent media, electromagnetic waves also propagate at nearly the same speed
as in a vacuum.
Applications of Electromagnetic Spectrum:
Radio Waves: Radio and television transmissions, radar technology.
Microwaves: Satellite communication, mobile phones, microwave ovens.
Infrared Radiation: Remote controllers, thermal imaging.
Visible Light: Vision, photography.
Ultraviolet Radiation: Banknote detection, sterilization.
X-rays: Medical imaging, security scanning.
Gamma Rays: Cancer detection and treatment, industrial applications.

Harmful Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation:

Ultraviolet Radiation: Excessive exposure can damage surface cells and eyes, leading to skin cancer
and eye conditions.
X-rays and Gamma Rays: Overexposure can cause mutations or damage to cells in the body,
contributing to various health risks.