Light
― Light is a radiation or a form of energy that our eyes can detect.
― Light enables us to view our surroundings.
Light travels from one place to another in a straight line.
Reflection of Light
- Whenever light hits an object it is either absorbed or its direction is changed back.
Q. What do you mean by reflection of Light?
A. Reflection of light can be defined as the phenomenon of an object throws back the light
that falls on it. Hence, the reflection of light changes its path.
A mirror is generally any shiny surface that can reflect back light.
Plane mirror Curved mirror
A mirror that has a plane surface is called a A mirror that is curved, it either bulges in or
Plane Mirror. out, is called a Curved or Spherical Mirror
Properties of the image formed by a plane mirror
1. It has the same height as that of the object.
2. The distance between the image and the mirror and the object and the mirror always
equal.
3. The image is erect or upright, laterally inverted and virtual image.
Erect image Inverted image
An image is said to be erect if the image is The image will be called Inverted if it is
formed the same side up as that of the formed upside-down compared to the object
object.
Q. What is lateral inversion?
A. When an image is formed in a plane mirror the, the left side of the object appears at the
right side of the image and vice versa. This is called a lateral inversion.
Q. Why the word ‘AMBULANCE’ is painted on an ambulance left-right inverted?
This is because of the left-right inversion of the image on a mirror, so that it can be read
easily by the driver of the vehicle ahead of the ambulance in its rear-view mirror.
Real Image Virtual Image
The real image is formed when the light rays A virtual image is formed when light rays
reflect and meet at the same point. reflect and diverge from the same point.
It can be viewed on a screen. It cannot be It is always inverted. It is always erect.
viewed on the screen.
Formed only by Concave mirror Formed by Convex, Concave and Plane
Mirrors
Spherical mirrors: has a sphere-like shape. It appears as if it is a part of a sphere.
Concave Mirror Convex Mirror
It is a spherical mirror whose reflecting It is a spherical mirror whose reflecting
surface is curved inwards. surface is curved outwards.
Properties of the image formed by a concave mirror
1) It can either be real or virtual (when object is very close to mirror).
2) It can either be inverted (when object is very far from mirror) or erect (when object is very
close to mirror).
3) It can have the same size as that of the object, a larger size that of the object (when object
is very close to mirror) or smaller size than that of the object (when object is very far from
mirror).
Applications (Uses) of Concave Mirror
1) Dentists use a concave mirror to reflect light on a particular tooth.
2) Headlights of a car have a concave mirror so that we can reflect back light straight on
the path.
3) Torches use concave Mirrors
4) Shaving Mirrors are concave in shape.
5) Satellite dishes use a concave mirror to gather all the signals and reflect them.
Properties of the image formed by a convex mirror
1) It is always virtual.
2) It is always upright or erect.
Applications (Uses) of Convex Mirrors
1) The rear view mirrors are convex mirrors as they provide a wider view of the road
behind.
2) Security mirrors near an ATM are convex so that the user can detect easily if anyone
else is watching from behind or not.
Lenses
A lens is a part of a reflecting material like glass or plastic but curved from both sides.
Lenses are unlike mirrors that have a reflecting surface only on one side.
Convex Lens Concave Lens
A Convex Lens is curved outwards. A Concave Lens is curved inwards.
It is thicker in the centre and narrows down It has wider edges and a thinner centre.
at the edges.
It merges the light rays passing through it It reflects back the light that travels through
at a certain point. Therefore, it is also called it in different directions. Therefore, it is also
a Converging Lens. called a Diverging Lens
Forms real and inverted image forms virtual and erect image
Image is large and appears close to the lens Image is small and appears far away
Uses of Concave lenses Uses of Convex lenses
1) Used in eyeglasses to correct near 1) Used in eyeglasses to correct
sightedness. farsightedness
2) Used in flashlights. 2) Used in microscopes
3) Used in door peepholes or spyholes. 3) Used in magnifying glasses
4) Used in binoculars. 4) Used in cameras to focus light for a clear
picture
5) Used in overhead projectors
6) Used to focus sunlight
The sun is the biggest source of light on the earth .
― The white light consists of seven colours namely VIBGYOR (violet, indigo, blue, green,
yellow, orange and red). This arrangement of seven colours of a white light is called as
Spectrum.
Q. What is Dispersion of light?
A. The phenomenon of the splitting of white light into its constituent, seven colours due to the
refraction of light, is called Dispersion of light.
Examples of dispersion of light:
1. Formation of rainbow due to the dispersion of white light through the water droplets.
2. Passing of Sunlight through a prism
3. Dispersion of light through the soap Bubbles or on the CDs
