Unit III- Natural Phenomena

Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

 Light is a form of energy. Light is needed to see things around us.

 Light enables us to see objects from which it comes or from which it is reflected.
 The objects like the sun, other stars, electric bulb, tube light, candle and fire etc., which
emit their own light are called luminous objects.
 Those objects which do not emit light themselves but only reflect the light which falls on
them, are called non-luminous objects.
 We can see the non-luminous objects because they reflect light (received from a
luminous objects)
 Light travels in straight lines.

Nature of Light: There are two theories about the nature of light: wave theory pf light
and particle theory of light.
1. Wave theory of light: Light consist of electromagnetic waves which do not
require a material medium (like solid, liquid or gas) for their propagation. Speed
of light is 3 × 10⁸ m/s).
2. Particle theory of light: According to particle theory of light, light is composed of
particles which travel in a straight line at very high speed.

After so many experiments it has been demonstrated that light has a dual nature:
light exhibits the properties of both waves and particles (depending on the situation
it is in).

Reflection of light:

 The process of sending back of the light rays which fall on the surface of an object, is
called reflection of light.
 The objects having polished, shining surfaces reflect more light than objects having
unpolished, dull surfaces.
 Silver metal is one of the best reflectors of light.
 In our diagrams, a plane mirror is represented by a straight line having a number of
short, oblique lines on one side.
 A ray of light is the straight line along which light travels.
 A bundle of light rays is called a beam of light.

Reflection of Light from Plane Surfaces: Plane Mirror

Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

 The ray of light which falls on the mirror surface is called the incident ray.
 The point at which the incident ray falls on the mirror is called the point of
incidence.
 The ray of light which is sent back by the mirror is called the reflected ray.
 The normal is a line at right angle to the mirror surface at the point of
incidence.
 The angle of incidence is the angle made by the incident ray with the normal
at the point of incidence.
 The angle of reflection is the angle made by the reflected ray with the
normal at the point of incidence.

Laws of Reflection of Light:

1. First Law of Reflection: According to the first law of reflection of light: The incident ray,
reflected ray and the normal (at the point of incidence), all lie in the same plane.
2. Second Law of Reflection: The angle of reflection is always equal to the angle of
incidence.
 A ray of light which is incident normally (or perpendicularly) on a mirror, is reflected back
along the same path (because the angle of incidence as well as angle of reflection for
such a ray of light are zero).

Regular and Diffuse Reflection of Light:

 In regular reflection, a parallel beam of incident light is reflected as a parallel beam in

one direction. Regular reflection of light occurs from smooth surfaces like that of a plane
mirror (or highly polished metal surfaces).
 In diffuse reflection, a parallel beam of incident light is reflected in different directions.
Example: rough surfaces like paper, cardboard, chalk, table, chair, walls and unpolished
surfaces.

Objects and Images:

 Anything which gives out light rays (either its own or reflected by it) is called an object.
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

The objects can be of two types- very small objects (called point objects) or large objects
(called extended objects).
 Image is an optical appearance produced when light rays coming from an object are
reflected from a mirror.

Real and Virtual Images:

 The image which can be obtained on a screen is called a real image, Example- image
formed on cinema screen.
 The image which cannot be obtained on a screen is called a virtual image. A virtual is
just an illusion. Example- image of our face in a plane mirror.

Lateral Inversion:

When an object is placed in front of a plane mirror, then the right side of object appears to
become the left side of image and the left side of object appears to become the right side of
image. This change of sides of an object and its mirror image is called lateral inversion.

Characteristics of an image formed by a plane mirror:

1. The image formed is virtual (It cannot be received on a screen).

2. The image formed is erect (It is same side up as the object).
3. The image formed is of same size as the object.
4. The image formed is at the same distance behind the mirror as the object is fromt of the
mirror.
5. The image formed is lateral inverted.

Numerical:

 An incident ray makes an angle of 350 with the surface of a plane mirror. What is the
angle of reflection?
Answer = Angle of incidence = 900 −350 = 550
 David is observing his image in a plane mirror. The distance between the mirror and
his image is 4m. If he moves 1m towards the mirror, then the distance between David
and his image will be:
Answer = David moves 1m towards the mirror.
Distance of David from mirror will be = 4-1=3m
Distance between David and his image = 3m +3m
= 6m
 A ray of light is incident on a plane mirror at an angle of 30 0 . What is the angle of
reflection?
Answer: 300
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

 A ray of light strikes a plane mirror at an angle of 400 to the mirror surface. What will
be the angle of reflection?
Answer: 900 – 400 = 500, Angle of reflection= angle of incidence = 500
 If an object is placed at a distance of 1o cm in from of a plane mirror, how far would it
be from its image?
Answer: 20 cm
 A ray of light strikes a plane mirror such that its angle of incidence is 30 0. What angle
does the reflected ray make with the mirror surface?
Answer: 900 - 300 = 600

Reflection of light from Curved Surfaces: Spherical Mirrors

A Spherical mirror is that mirror whose reflecting surface is the part of a hollow sphere of glass.
The spherical mirrors are of two types: Concave Mirrors and Convex Mirrors

 A Concave mirror is that spherical mirror in which the reflection of light takes place at
the concave surface (or bent-in surface).
 A Convex mirror is that spherical mirror in which the reflection of light takes place at the
convex surface (or bulging- out surface)

Centre of Curvature, Radius of Curvature, Pole and Principal Axis of a Spherical Mirror:
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

 The Centre of Curvature of a spherical mirror is the centre of the hollow sphere of glass
of which the mirror is a part.
The Centre of Curvature of a concave mirror is in front of it but the centre of curvature
of a convex mirror is behind it.
 The radius of curvature of a spherical mirror is the radius of the hollow sphere of glass
of which the mirror is a part.
 The centre of spherical mirror is called its pole.
 The straight line passing through the centre of curvature and pole of a spherical mirror is
called its principal axis.
 That portion of a mirror from which the reflection of light actually takes place is called
the aperture of the mirror.

Principle focus and Focal Length of a Concave Mirror:

Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

 The principal focus of a concave mirror is a point on its principal axis to which all the
light rays which are parallel and close to the axis, converge after reflection from the
concave mirror.
 A Concave mirror has a real focus. The focus of a concave mirror is in front of the mirror.
 The focal length of a concave mirror is the distance between its pole and principal focus.
 The principal focus of a convex mirror is a point on its principal axis from which beam of
light rays, initially parallel to the axis, appears to diverge after being reflected from the
convex mirror.
 A Convex mirror has virtual focus. The focus of a concave mirror is situated behind the
mirror.

Relation between Radius of Curvature and Focal Length of a Spherical Mirror:

The focal length of a spherical mirror is equal to half of its radius of curvature.

F = R/2

Numerical:

 If the radius of curvature of a spherical mirror is 20 cm, what is its focal length?

Answer = F = R/2

= 20/2 = 10cm

Rules for obtaining Images formed by Concave Mirror:

Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

Rule 1: A ray of light which is parallel to the principal axis of a concave mirror, passes through its
focus after reflection from the mirror.

Rule 2: A ray of light passing through the focus of a concave mirror becomes parallel to the
principal axis after reflection. (reverse case of rule 1)

Rule 3: A ray of light passing through the centre of curvature of a concave mirror is reflected
back along the same path.
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

Rule 4: A ray of light which is incident at the pole of a concave mirror is reflected back making
the same angle with the principal axis.

Formation of different types of images of a concave mirror:

NOTE: Real image is always inverted, a virtual image is always erect.

Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

Case 1: Image formed by a concave mirror when the oject is placed between pole and focus of
the mirror(Object between P and F):

The image formed is:

 Behind the mirror

 Virtual and erect
 Larger than the object(or magnified)

Case 2: When the object is placed at the focus of a concave mirror(object at F):

The image formed is:

 At infinity
 Real and inverted
 Highly magnified(or highly magnified)
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

Case 3: When the object is placed between focus and centre of curvature (Object between F
and C):

The image formed is:

 Beyound the centre of curvature

 Real and inverted
 Larger than the object (or magnified)

Case 4: When the object is placed at the centre of curvature of a concave mirror (Object at C):

The image formed is:

 At the centre of curvature(C)

 Real and inverted
 Same size as the object
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

Case 5: When the object is beyond the centre of curvature of the concave mirror (Object
beyond C):

The image formed is:

 Between the focus and centre of curvature

 Real and inverted
 Smaller than the object(or diminished)

Case 6: When the object is at infinity:

The image formed is:

 At the focus
 Real and inverted
 Much smaller than the object(or highly diminished)
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

Summary of the Images formed by a Concave Mirror:

S.N Position of object Position of image Size of image Nature of image

o
1 Within focus ( between pole Behind the Enlarged Virtual and erect
P and focus F) mirror
2 At focus At infinity Highly enlarged Real and inverted
3 Between F and C Beyond C Enlarged Real and inverted
4 At C At C Equal to Object Real and inverted
5 Beyond C Between Fand C Diminished Real and inverted
6 At infinity At focus F Highly Real and inverted
Diminished

Uses of Concave Mirrors:

 Used as shaving mirrors to see a large image of face, make up mirrors

 Used by dentists to see the large images of the teeth of patients.
 Used as reflectors in torches, vehicle head-lights and search lights to get powerful beams
of light.
 Used as doctors head-mirrors to focus light coming from a lamp to the body parts of a
patient to be examined by the doctor.
 Used in TV dish antennas to receive TV signals from the distant communications
satellites.
 Used in the field of solar energy to focus sun rays for heating soalr furnaces.

Numericals:

1. We wish to obtain an erect image of an object using a concave mirror of focal length 15
cm. What should be the range of distance of the object from the mkirror? What is the
nature of the image? Is the image larger or smaller than the object? Draw a ray-diagram
to show the image formation in this case.
Answer:
f = 15 cm, to make erect image , object must be between pole and focus.
Nature= virtual and erect
Size of image= enlarged or larger than the object.
Ray diagram : case 1 where object is in between pole and focus.
2. The image formed by a concave mirror is seen to be virtual, erect and larger than the
ovject. The position of nthe object must then be:
i. Between the focus and centre of curvature
ii. At the centre of curvature
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

iii. Beyond the centre of curvature

iv. Between the pole of the mirror and its focus.

Choose the correct alternative

Answer: iv)

3. A concave mirror has a focal length of 10 cm. Where should an object be placed in front
of this concave mirror so as to obtain an image which is real, inverted and same size as
the object?
Answer: to obatin saem size image, object must be at C.
Object distance = 10 * 2 = 20 cm
4. An object is placed at the folllowing distances from a concave mirror of focal length 10
cm:
a. 8cm
b. 15cm
c. 20cm
d. 25cm

Which position of the object will produce:

i. A diminished real image?

ii. A magnified real image?
iii. A magnified virtual image?
iv. An image of the same size as the object?

Answer:

i. Dimished real image formed when object is placed beyond C , therefore objcet distance
will be = 10*2 + 5 = 25 cm
ii. Magnified real image formed when oject is placed between F and C, therefore object
distance will be = 10+5 = 15cm
iii. Magnified virtual image formed when object is placed between P and F, therefore object
distance will be = less than 10cm, in options we have 8 cm.
iv. Same size as object image formed when object is placed at C, therefore object distance
will be = 20cm.
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

Sign Convention for Spherical Mirrors:

 The object is always placed on

the left side of the mirror.
 The object distance (u) is always
negative.
 If an image is formed behind a
concave mirror, the image distance
(v) is positive but if the image is
formed in front of the mirror, the
image formed will,be negative.
 Image distance(v) for a convex
mirror will always be positive.
 Focal length of a concave mirror is
negative.
 The focal length of convex mirror is positive.
 Height of an object is always positive.
 If an image formed above the principal axis, height is taken as positive, if an image
formed below the principal axis, height is taken as negative.
 Height of all virtual and erect images is considered positive.
 Height of all real and inverted images is considered negative.

Mirror Formula: A formula which gives the relationship between image distance(v), object
distance (u) and focal length (f) of a spherical mirror is known as mirror formula.

Where, v = image distance

U = object distance
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

f = focal length

Magnification: The ratio of the height of image to the height of object is known as linear
magnification/magnification.

Where, hi = height of image

Ho = height of object

NOTE:

 Height(ho) of oject will always be positive.

 For virtual image, (hi) will be positive and for real image , it will be negative.
 If magnification has plus sign, then the image is virtual and erect
 If magnification has minus sign, then the image is real and inverted.

The linear magnifictaion produced by a mirror is equal to the ratio of the image diatnce to the
object distance, with a minus sign.

Numericals:

1) Find the size, nature and position of image formed when an object of size 1 cm is placed
at a distance of 15cm from a concave mirror of focal length 10 cm.

Solution:

i. Position of image:
u = -15 cm
f = -10 cm
v =?
1/v + 1/u = 1/f
1/v + 1/-15 = 1/-10
1/v = -1/10 + 1/15
1/v = -3+2/30
1/v = -1/30
V= -30 cm
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

Minus sign shows image is on left side

Nature of image: Real and Inverted
Size of image: m= -v/u
= - (-30)/(-15)
= -30/15
=-2

m = hi/ho
m=2
-2 = hi /ho
-2 = hi / 1
Hi = -2 * 1
= -2 cm
2) An object 2 cm high is placed at a distance of 16 cm from a concave mirror which
produces a real image 3 cm high.
i. What is the focal length of the mirror?
ii. Find the position of the image.

Solution:

i. Calculation of position of image:

Hi = -3 cm
HO = 2 cm
M = hi/ho
= -3/2
= -1.5

m= -v/u
-1.5 = - v/(-16)
-1.5 = v/16
V= -24 cm
Minus sign shows image is on left side
ii. Calculation of focal length:
u = -16 cm
v = -24 cm
f=?
1/v + 1/u = 1/f
1/-24 = 1/-16 = 1/f
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

-1/24 – 1/16 = 1/f

-2-3/48 = 1/f
F =-48/5
F = -9.6cm
3) A concave mirror produces three times magnified(enlarged) real image of an object
placed at 10 cm in front of it. Where is the image located?

Solution: m= -3

U = -10 cm

V=?

M = -v/u

-3 = -v/-10

V = -30 cm, image is on left side of mirror.

4) The magnification produced by a plane mirror is +1. What does this mean?

Solution: plus sign shows image is virtual and erect

Value 1 means, image is exactly of same size as the object.

5) What is the nature of the image formed by a concave mirror if the magnification
produced by the mirro is +3?

Solution: plus sign shows, virtual and erect

6) What is the nature of the image formed by a concave mirror if the magnification
produced by the mirro is, - 0.75?
Solution: minus sign shows, real and inverted
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

Rules for obtaining images formed by convex mirror:

1) A ray of light which is parallel to the principal axis of a convex mirror, appears to be
coming from its focus after reflecftion from the mirror.

2) A ray of light going towards the centre of curvature of a convex mirror is reflected back
along the same path.

3) A ray of light going towards the focus of a convex mirror becomes parallel to the
principal axis after reflection.
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

4) A ray of light which is incident at the pole of a convex mirrornis rfelected back making
the same angle with the principal axis.

NOTE: Whatever be the position of the object in front of a convex mirror, the image formed by a
convex mirror is always behind the mirror, it is virtual, erect and smaller than the object(or
diminished).

Formation of image by a convex mirror:

Case 1: When an object is placed anywhere between pole(P) and infinity in front of a convex
mirror, the image formed is:

i. Behind the mirror between pole(P) and focus(F)

ii. Virtual and erect
iii. Diminished (smaller than the object)
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

Case 2 : When the object is at infinity, the image formed is:

i. Behind the mirror at focus(F)

ii. Virtual and erect
iii. Highly diminished(much smaller than the object)

Position of Object Position of Image Size of image Nature of image

1. Anywhere between pole P Behind the mirror Diminsihed Virtual and erect
and infinity between P and F
2. At infinity Behind the mirror Highly Virtual and erect
diminished at
focus(F)
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

Uses of Convex Mirrors:

 Used as rear view mirrors in vehicles like cars, trucks and buses to see the traffic at the
rear side(or back side).
 Big convex mirrors are used as shop security mirrors.

NOTE: We cannot used a concave mirro as a rear-view mirror in motor vehicles because,
concave mirror produces inverted images of distant objects.

How to distinguish between a plane mirror, concave mirro and a convex mirror without
touching them?

A plane mirror will produce an image of same size . A concave mirror will produced a magnified
image. A convex mirror will produce a dimished image.

Numerical:

No matter how far you stand from a mirro, your image appears erect. The mirror may be: plane,
concave, convex or either plane or convex.

Choose the correct alternative.

Answer: either plane or convex

Numerical problems based on convex mirrors:

NOTE:

 Image distance(v) for convex mirror is always positive.

 Focal length is always taken as positive.

Numericals:

1) An object 5 cm high is placed at a distance of 10 cm from a convex mirror of radius of

curvature 30 cm. Find the nature, position and size of the image.

Solution: u= - 10 cm

V=?
Unit III- Natural Phenomena
Chapter 1: Light- Reflection and Refraction

f = R/2 = 30/2 =15cm

1/v = 1/u = 1/f

1/v + 1/-10 = 1/15

1/v = 5/30

V = 6 cm

Position of image is behind the convex mirror.

Magnification, m = -v/u

= - (6)/(-10)

= 0.6

m = hi/ho

0.6 = hi/5

Hi = 5* 0.6

= 3 cm, size of image = 3 cm