Ray optics

Light ray: it is defined as a narrow stream of radiation that travels in a line.

Types of light beams:

Types of light rays

❖ Frequency of light never change (remains unchanged), velocity, wave length and intensity of light will change
Real and virtual image:

Concept of field of view (FOV):

Reflection of light :

when a light ray strikes the reflecting surface a part of light ray

turned back into the same medium is called reflection of light.

Types of reflection:

Laws of reflection:

Equation of reflected ray in vector form:

EX: Show that for a light ray incident at an angle i on getting reflected the angle of deviation is 𝛿 = 𝜋 − 2ⅈ 𝑜𝑟 𝜋 + 2ⅈ
Plane mirrors:

❖ Distance of object from the mirror = Distance of image from the mirror
❖ The line joining of points object and image is normal to the reflecting surface,
❖ The size of image is equal to size of object
❖ For a real object the image is virtual, and for virtual object the image is real.
❖ For exteded object size of extended object = size of extended image
❖ the image is upright, if the extended object is placed parallel to the mirror
❖ The image is inverted if the extended object lies perpendicular to the plane mirror

❖ If the extended horizontal object is palced in front of a mirror inclined at an angel 45 with the horizontal the
image is formed will be virtical

❖ Deviation due to multiple reflection:

❖ Deviation produced by two plane mirrors inclined at an angle:

❖ Images formed by two inclined plane mirrors:

❖ Images formed by two plane parallel mirrors:

❖ Relative motion of object and image in case of plane mirrors:

Ex. Figure shows a plane mirror and an object that are moving towards each other. Find the velocity of

image.

❖ Rotation due to plane mirror:

3. The figure shows two plane mirrors MN and PQ inclined at an angle θ as shown in the
figure. O is a point source 10 cm above the mirror MN. The normal drawn from O to the
𝟏𝟎
mirror MN is at a distance cm from the end N as shown in figure. For light rays striking the
√𝟑

mirror MN directly from O to not strike the mirror PQ, the maximum value of θ is

4. Figure shows a parabolic mirror with the equation of a section on the XY plane as 𝒚𝟐 =4ax. A
light ray parallel to the x-axis is incident on the mirror at a point with abscissa 4a. The unit
vector along the reflected ray will be:
5. A point source of light B is placed at a distance L in front of the center of a mirror of width 'd'
hung vertically on a wall. A man walks in front of the mirror along a line parallel to the mirror
at a distance 2L from it as shown in fig. The greatest distance over which he can see the image
of the light source in the mirror is:

6. Two plane mirrors are parallel to each other and spaced 20 cm apart. An object is kept in
between them at 15 cm form A. Out of the following at which point(s) image(s) is/are not
formed in mirror A (distance measured from mirror A):

7. A person walks at a velocity V in a straight line forming an angle θ with the plane of a plane
mirror. Find the velocity Vrel with which he approaches his image?
8. A plane mirror rotating at an angular velocity of 3 radian/s reflects a light beam. The
angular velocity of the reflected beam is

10. Following figure shows the multiple reflections of a light ray along a glass corridor where
the walls are either parallel or perpendicular to one another. If the angle of incidence at point
P is 30∘, what are the angles of reflection of the light ray at point Q, R, S and T respectively-

11. Four identical mirrors are made to stand vertically to form a square arrangement as
shown in a top view. A ray starts from the midpoint M of mirror AD and after two reflections
reaches corner D. Then, angle θ must be

12. Figure shows a plane mirror kept inclined to X-axis A small object P moves parallel to the
Y-axis. The unit vector along which the image moves is.
13. Two plane mirrors are inclined at an angle of 75 to each other. Find the total number of images
formed when an object is placed as shown in figure

14. A child is standing in front of a straight plane mirror. His father is standing behind him, as
shown in the fig. The height of the father is double the height of the child. What is the
minimum length of the mirror required so that the child can completely see his own image
and his fathers image in the mirror? Given that the height of father is 2H.

15. An insect of negligible mass is sitting on a block of mass M, tied with a spring of force
constant k. The block performs the simple harmonic motion with amplitude A in front of a
plane mirror as shown. The maximum speed of insect relative to its image will be ______.
16. Fig. shows a plane mirror along the X-Z plane and a fixed point object P(8m, 6m) on the X-Y plane. If the
mirror rotates anticlockwise about the Z axis with a speed of 2 rev/sec, then the linear speed of the image

will be:

17. A plane mirror is placed at a distance d from the screen on which a spot is formed. Incident

ray is kept constant, and mirror is rotated with constant angular velocity ω. Then the
acceleration of the spot on the screen is given by

18. Figure shows a torch producing a straight light beam falling on a plane mirror at an angle 60^
The reflected beam makes a spot P on the screen along y-axis . If at t=0, mirror starts rotating
about the hinge A with an angular velocity (omega)=1^per second clockwise. Find the speed of
the spot on screen after time t = 15 s.
19. A plane mirror of circular shape with radius r=20 cm is fixed to the ceiling. A bulb is to be
placed on the axis of the mirror. A circular area of radius R=1 m on the floor is to be
illuminated after reflection of light from the mirror. The height of the room is 3 m. What is the
minimum distance from the centre of the mirror and bulb so that the required is illuminated?

20. Three plane mirrors are kept as shown in the Figure A point object (O) is kept at the centroid
of the triangle seen in the Figure. How many images will be formed?

21. Two blocks each of mass m lie on a smooth table. They are attached to two other masses
as shown in figure. The pulleys and string are light. An object O is kept at rest on the table. The
slides AB & CD of the two blocks are made reflecting. The acceleration of two images formed
in those two reflecting surfaces w.r.t each other is:
22. A person's eye level is 1.5 m. He stands in front of a 0.3 m long plane mirror which is 0.8 m
above the ground. The height of the image he sees of himself is:

9. Two candles of equal height h are placed in between vertical walls on a line perpendicular to the
walls at a distance a from each other and also from the nearer wall. With what speed will the
shadows of the candles move along the walls if one burns out completely in time t_(1) and the
other in time t_(2).