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Understanding Light Reflection and Refraction

The document explains the concepts of light reflection and refraction, detailing the law of reflection where the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. It describes how images are formed in plane mirrors, emphasizing that they are virtual and cannot be projected. Additionally, it covers the bending of light through different mediums, known as refraction, and the behavior of light as it transitions between optically dense and less dense materials.

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Shipra Ghosh
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7 views6 pages

Understanding Light Reflection and Refraction

The document explains the concepts of light reflection and refraction, detailing the law of reflection where the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. It describes how images are formed in plane mirrors, emphasizing that they are virtual and cannot be projected. Additionally, it covers the bending of light through different mediums, known as refraction, and the behavior of light as it transitions between optically dense and less dense materials.

Uploaded by

Shipra Ghosh
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

LIGHT

Normal: Normal is the line which forms 90 degree angle


with the surface.
The reflection, angles are measured between the rays (lines
which have arrows) and the normal line.
The angle of the wave approaching the boundary is called angle
of incidence.
An incident ray is the arrow pointing towards the boundary.
A reflected ray is the arrow pointing away from the boundary.

The LAW OF REFLECTION


The law of reflection states that angle of reflection and
angle of incidence are equal.
This law of reflection is used in many devices such as:
 Mirror
 Cameras
 Optical fibers
 Periscopes
Reflection in a Plane Mirror
When an object is placed in front of a plane mirror, an image
of that object can be seen in the mirror.
The image will be:-
 Same size as the object
 Same distance behind the mirror as the object is in
front of it.
 Virtual
o Each incident ray on the diagram above can be drawn
following these steps:
 Light from the object hits the mirror, reflecting from it
(i=r).
 To an observer the reflected ray appears to have come
from behind the mirror.
 The reflected ray can be traced back in this same direction
behind the mirror, forming a virtual ray.
 This process is repeated for another ray travelling in a
slightly different direction.
o An image of the object will appear where these two virtual
rays cross.
o The type of image formed in the mirror is called a virtual
image because of the divergent of the rays from the
image.
o It cannot be projected onto a piece of paper (because rays
don’t go through the paper).
Q1. Give two examples of a smooth, shiny surface that reflects
light well.
Answer: Mirror
Glass
Q2. Name the type of image you see from
reflected light.
Answer: Virtual image
Q3. In the picture of Arun looking at the reflection of the
flamingoes, named the rays labeled A and B.
Answer: Ray A is the incident ray
Ray B is the reflected ray
Q4. Copy the diagram of the light ray being reflected off
the mirror. Label the reflected ray and the incident ray.
Answer:

To draw a reflection diagram, show a light ray hitting a mirror, bouncing


off at the same angle it arrived, using arrows to indicate direction, and
labeling the incoming ray as the Incident Ray, the outgoing ray as the
Reflected Ray, the perpendicular line as the Normal, and the angles
between rays and the Normal as Angle of Incidence (i) and Angle of
reflection (r).
 PERISCOPE
 It is a device like a long tube containing mirrors
which allow you to see over the top of something,
used specially in a submarine to see above the surface
of the sea.
REFRACTION OF LIGHT
Virtual images cannot be projected onto a screen
because the light rays don’t actually go through the
image.
Bending of light through different medium is called as
refraction.
Light bends towards normal through denser medium.
 When light travels from optically less dense to
optically denser medium, it bends towards the
normal.
 When light travels from optically denser to
optically less denser, it bends away from the
normal.
 Light travelling perpendicular to boundary passes
undeflected.

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