Chapter: 9
Light: Reflection and Refraction
LIGHT:
Light is a form of energy, that provides sensation of vision.
Some common phenomenon associated with lights are image formation by mirrors, twinkling of stars, beautiful color
of rainbow, bending of light in a medium, and so on.
Properties of light:
1. Electromagnetic wave, so does not require any medium to travel.
2. Light tends to travel in straight line.
3. Light has dual nature i.e. wave as well as particle.
4. Speed of light is maximum in vacuum. Its value is 3x10 8 m/s
5. When light falls on a surface following may happen: Reflection, refraction or absorption.
• Sources of light:
Sources of light is classified in 2 ways:
1. Natural Source: These sources produces light naturally, no energy requirement to produce light.eg: Sunlight
2. Artificial Source: Some form of energy is given to them to produce light, like in bulb we give electrical energy to
get light energy. It is also known as man-made source of light.eg: Candle, Bulb, Lantern.
Important terms:
• What is a ray of light? The light traveling in any one
direction in a straight line is called a ray of light. Light ray is
always drawn with an arrow that indicates the direction of the
energy flow.
• What is the beam of light? A group of/bundle of light rays
given out from a source is called a beam of light. Beams of
light is of three types.
a) Divergent: In a divergent beam, the light rays disperse
away from the source of light.
b) Convergent: In a convergent beam, the light rays from a
source of light, eventually meet or converge to a point.
c) Parallel: When rays from a distant point source travel
parallel to each other in a particular direction, it forms
parallel light beam.
Reflection of light:
• Reflection of Light: The phenomenon of bouncing back of light into the same medium by the smooth surface is called
reflection.
• Point of incidence: The point on the surface where the incident ray strikes the surface is called the point of incidence
• Normal: The normal line is an imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the reflecting surface at the point of incidence.
• Incident light: Light which falls on the surface is called incident light.
• Reflected light: Light which goes back after reflection is called reflected light.
• The angle of incidence: The angle between the incident ray and the normal.
• An angle of reflection: The angle between the reflected ray and the normal.
• Mirror: The surface which can reflect the light is a mirror.
• Laws of reflection:
i. The angle of incidence is equal to angle of reflection. (where point O is the point of incidence)
ii. The incident ray, reflected ray and the normal to the reflecting surface at the point of incidence lie in the same plane.
iii. The incident ray and the reflected ray are on the opposite sides of the normal.
Image formation by a plane mirror:
• Plane Mirror: If the reflecting surface is a plane then the mirror is plane.
• Image: Image is a point where atleast two light rays actually meet or appear to meet.
Real image Virtual image
It is formed when rays It is formed when light
actually meet. rays appear to meet
Can be obtained on Can’t be obtained on
screen. screen.
Inverted Erect
Eg: Image formed on Eg: Image formed by
cinema screen. plane mirror.
Image formation by a plane mirror:
1) Virtual (imaginary) & Erect
(Virtual -The image that do not
form on screen.)
2) Laterally inverted (The left
side of object appear on right
side of image)
3) The size of image is equal to
that of object.
4) The image formed is as for
behind the mirror as the object
is in front of it.
Image formation by spherical
mirrors:
• Spherical Mirror: If the reflecting surface is part of the hollow sphere then the mirror is a spherical
mirror.
The spherical mirror is of two types:
• Convex mirror: In this mirror reflecting surface is convex. It diverges the light so it is also called a
diverging mirror.
• Concave mirror: In this mirror reflecting surface is concave. It converges the light so it is also called
converging mirror.
Parameters of spherical mirror:
• Center of Curvature: The centre of hollow sphere of which mirror is a part.
• The radius of curvature: The radius of hollow sphere of which mirror is a part.
• Pole: The centre of mirror (middle point) is pole.
• Principal axis: The line joining the pole and center of curvature is called principal axis.
• Aperture: Size of mirror is called aperture of mirror.
• Principal Focus: The point on the principal axis, where all the incident rays parallel to
principal axis converge or diverge after reflection through mirror.
• Focal Length: The distance between pole and focus point is focal length.
