Science 10 – OPTICS Notes
b. The size of the image is equal to
Reflection of Light in Mirrors
 A mirror is a highly polished surface
that usually made of glass coated with
silver or aluminum on one surface.
 Two types of mirror: Plane Mirrors and
Spherical Mirrors.
 Spherical Mirrors can be Concave or
Convex. Concave Mirrors - reflected
rays converge or meet, also called as
converging mirrors. Convex Mirrors –
reflected rays spread out, also called
diverging mirrors.
 Law of Reflection states:
a. The incident ray, the reflected
ray, and the normal to the
reflecting surface all lie in the
same plane.
b. The angle of incidence is equal to
the angle of reflection, that is
θi=θr
 Types of Images: (1) Real Image –
formed by actual or real rays of light. It
is always inverted, and may be larger
than, or smaller than, or the same size
as the object; (2) Virtual Image – an
image is created by apparent rays of
light, or light rays that seem to
converged or meet at one point behind
the mirror. It cannot be projected on
the screen and always upright, its size
can be enlarged or reduced.
 Characteristic of the Image formed in
Plane Mirrors:
a. The image is upright and
laterally inverted.
b. The image is virtual because the
rays do not actually meet.
c. The image form is unmagnified.
The size of the object is the same
as the size of the image.
d. The distance of the image is the
same as the distance of the
object.
 Law of plane mirrors:
a. The distance of the image is
equal to the distance of the
object, d i=d o.
the size of the object, Si=S o.
 Ray Diagram for Plane Mirrors:
1. Draw a horizontal line as your
principal axis. Draw a thick line
perpendicular to the principal
axis. This represents the plane
mirror.
2. Position your object properly and
label it.
3. Trace an arrow parallel to the
principal axis from the height of
the image to the mirror and
reflect back on itself. (ray 1)
4. Draw an arrow from the top of
the object to the point of
intersection of the mirror and
principal axis (point D) and
reflect at the same angle. (ray 2)
5. Since the two rays drawn do not
meet, extend the two rays at the
back of the mirror until they
meet. This is where the image is
formed.
 Terms to remember (related to Image
formation in Spherical Mirrors)
a. Center of Curvature (C) – the
center of the sphere of which the
spherical mirror is a part of.
b. Radius of Curvature (R) – radius
of the sphere.
c. Vertex (V) – the center, or middle
portion of the mirror.
d. Principal Axis – the line drawn
passing through the vertex and
the Center of Curvature.
e. Aperture – opening of the mirror.
f. Principal Focus (F) – the point on
the principal axis where the
incident rays parallel to the
 principal axis meet after they are b. Object located beyond the
reflected. Center of Curvature (C) – The
g. Focal length (f) – the distance image formed is smaller,
between the principal focus and inverted, real, and located
vertex of a mirror. between the center of
 Ray Diagram for Spherical Mirrors curvature and the principal
1. After you have drawn your focus.
principal axis and curve line for
spherical mirror, place your
object at its proper location from
the mirror. Label the focal point
and center of curvature.
2. Draw a ray parallel to the
principal axis from the height of
the object to the mirror and is
reflected back through the focal c. Object located at the center of
point. (ray 1) curvature – the image formed is
the same as the object,
3. Draw an arrow passing through
inverted, real, and located at
the center of curvature C and is
the center of curvature.
reflected on itself. (ray 2)
4. Draw an arrow from the height of
the object passing the focal point
and is reflected parallel to the
principal axis. The intersection of
the rays is where the image is
located. (ray 3)
d. Object located between the
center of curvature C and the
principal focus F – The image
formed is larger, inverted, real
and located beyond the center
of curvature.

 Image Formation in Concave Mirrors

a. Object at an infinite distance – e. Object at the principal focus F
The image formed by a concave – There is no image formed.
mirror when an object is at an
infinite distance is a point at the
principal focus.

f. Object located between the

principal focus F and the
mirror – The image formed is
 virtual, larger, upright and
located behind the mirror.

 Image formation in Convex Mirrors

a. Images are always smaller than 2. Given:
the object. So =20 cm; d o=50 cm ; f =20 cm
b. The image is upright, virtual, a. Solution:
and located behind the mirror.
c. As the object is brought closer to
the mirror, the size of the image
increases but never becomes the
same as that of the object.

b. Solution:
 Spherical Aberration – the
imperfection in a spherical mirror with
a large aperture. This results in the
formation of a distorted image.
 Parabolic mirrors - are used to prevent
spherical aberration.
1 1 1
 Mirror Formula: = +
f do di
Si −d i
 Magnification: M = =
So do
R
 Radius of Curvature: f =
2
 Sign Convention for the Mirror
Formula Refraction of Light in lenses
 Lenses – are curved pieces of glass or
plastic.
 Two kinds of lenses: Convex lens
(Converging) and Concave lens
(Diverging)
 Refraction – bending of light as it
travels to a medium with different
 Example (Answers to Quick Quiz 7-2) optical density.
 Image formation in Lenses
1. Given: f =30 cm
Solution:
 b. Object located beyond twice the
focal length 2F’ – The image is
smaller, inverted, real, and
 A spherical lens has two centers of located between F and 2F’
curvature (C and C’), which are the
centers of the intersecting spheres that
form the lens surfaces.
 It has two focal points, F and F’.
 The Principal axis P of a lens is an
imaginary line passing through O.
 Optical Center O – center of the lens
 Secondary Axis S – diagonal line that
possess through O. c. Object located at twice the focal
 Focal length – distance between F and length (2F’) – The image is the
O. same size as the object, inverted,
 Ray Method of Image Formation in real and located at 2F.
Lenses (Draw any two of the three rays)
a. Ray 1 is an incident ray parallel
to the principal axis and is
refracted through the principal
focus.
b. Ray 2 is an incident ray along
the secondary axis that directly
passes through the optical
center. This ray is not refracted.
c. Ray 3 is an incident ray that
passes through the secondary
focus and is refracted parallel to d. Object located between twice the
the principal axis. focal length (2F’) and the focus F’
– The image is inverted, real,
larger, and located beyond 2F.

 Image formation in Convex Lenses

a. Object at an infinite distance –
e. Object located at the focus F’ –
The image is located at the
There is no image visible.
principal focus F.
 a. Find f =?

f. Object located between the focus

F’ and the optical center O – The
image is larger, upright, virtual,
and located between 2F’ and F’.

 Image formation of Concave lenses – b. Find the size of the image

The image is always smaller than the
object, upright and virtual.

1 1 1
 The Lens Formula: = +
f do di

Si −d i
 Magnification: M = =
So do

 Sign Convention for the Lens

formula
Types of do di
f
Lens
Convex + + ±
Concave −¿ + −¿

 Examples: (answer for quick-quiz 7-3)

1. Given:
So =8 cm; d o=30 cm ; d i=15 cm