The Visible

Light
Properties
• Light travels in a straight line.
• The speed of light is faster than sound. Light travels at a speed of 3 x
108 m/s.
• Reflection
• Refraction
• Dispersion
• Absorption
• Diffraction
• Interference
• Polarization
Light Vs.
Different
Materials
Refraction
a change in the speed
of light as it travels
from one medium to
another and there is a
bending of the ray of
light.
Dispersion The splitting of a ray of white light
into its component colors.
Absorption
Light absorption is
a process by which light is
absorbed and converted
into energy.
 Diffraction
The phenomenon of bending of light around corners of small obstacles.
 Interference is the phenomenon of modification in
the intensity of light due to redistribution of light
Interference energy in the region of superposition of two or
more light waves.
Polarization
Normal light vibrates in
all directions
perpendicular to the
propagation of light. If
the light is constrained
to vibrate in only one
plane, then the light is
called polarized light.
Reflection
It is the phenomenon in which light travelling in one medium,
incident on the surface of another returns to the first medium,
obeying the laws of reflection. According to the laws of reflection
1.The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal to the surface
at the point of incidence all lie in the same plane.
2.The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
Law of Reflection
Normal Line – A line perpendicular to the surface
Incident Ray – A ray of light approaching the surface
Reflected Ray – A ray of light that bounces away from
the surface
θi and θr – Angles of incidence and reflection
Surface – any reflecting material (mirror, water, etc.)
Check your understanding,
Consider the diagram at the right. Which
one of the angles (A, B, C, or D) is the
angle of incidence? ______ Which one of
the angles is the angle of reflection?
Check your understanding,
A ray of light is incident towards a plane
mirror at an angle of 30-degrees with the
mirror surface. What will be the angle of
reflection?
Types of • Specular/Regular Reflection
Reflection • Diffuse/Irregular Reflection
 A reflective
surface that does
not allow light to
pass through but
bounces it off and
produces an
image.

Mirror
Types of Mirror

Plane Mirror Concave Mirror Convex Mirror

Law of Reflection on Mirrors
Ray
Diagram
A ray diagram is a
representation of the
possible paths light can
take to get from one
place to another. This
is often from a source
or object to an observer
or screen.
 An incident ray with 45º angle of incidence

Plane
on a vertical mirror,

Mirror
Drawing a ray
diagram is simple
for a plane mirror.
Firstly, we should
draw an incoming
ray:
Plane
Mirror
Once the incoming ray
is drawn, a line
perpendicular to the
mirror, at the point
where the ray touches
the mirror should be
constructed.
Plane
Mirror
For a plane mirror, the law
45º
of reflection states that i=r.
That is, the angle of
incidence is equal to the
angle of reflection.
The angle of reflection can
now be marked on the
diagram.
Plane
Mirror 45º

Finally, the reflected

45º
ray can be readily
drawn.
Plane
Mirror
A ray diagram
showing the
reflection of several
rays of light, and the
corresponding
virtual image.
Draw the ray diagram of the
following cases:
Mirror 2
1. An incident ray that
3.
makes a 35º angle with
the surface of a vertical
plane mirror.
2. An incident ray with an
80º angle of incidence on
a horizontal plane mirror.
Mirror 1
Draw the ray diagram of the
following cases:
1. An incident ray that incident ray
makes a 35º angle with
the surface of a vertical 35º
plane mirror.
i = 55º
Normal Line r = 55º

35º
reflected ray
Mirror
Draw the ray diagram of the
following cases:
2. An incident ray with an
80º angle of incidence on Normal Line
a horizontal plane mirror.

incident ray reflected ray

i = 80º r = 80º
10º 10º

Mirror
 i = 50º
r = 50º r = 40º
i = 40º
Draw the ray Normal Line
diagram of
the following
cases:
 r
i

Object (O) Mirror (S) Image (I)

The image (I) formed by a mirror can be

L. O. S. T. described using the following attributes:
Location, Orientation, Size, and Type.
 Describing the image formed by a plane mirror.

Location Orientation Size Type

(in front of the (Upright/Inverted) (Reduced/Same/Enlarged) (Real/Virtual)
mirror/behind the mirror

Behind the mirror. Upright Same Virtual

Characteristics of image formed by a
plane mirror:

• The image obtained is virtual.

• The image is laterally inverted (Left-Right Reversed).
• The image is upright.
• The size of the image is the same as the size of the object.
• The distance between the image obtained from the mirror
is the same as the distance between the object from the
mirror.
Real and Virtual Images

In a real image, the rays of light actually meet

after reflection, while in a virtual image, it appears
to meet but do not actually meet. A real image
can be obtained on screen but not a virtual image.
 Describe the image formed by a plane mirror.

Location Orientation Size Type

(in front of the (Upright/Inverted) (Reduced/Same/Enlarged) (Real/Virtual)
mirror/behind the mirror
 Describe the image formed by a plane mirror.

Location Orientation Size Type

(in front of the (Upright/Inverted) (Reduced/Same/Enlarged) (Real/Virtual)
mirror/behind the mirror