Light Class 8 Notes - Chapter 16
Introduction to Light
The world as we know is largely known through senses and the sense of
sight is one of the most important senses. It is only when the light from an
object enters our eyes that we see it. The light might have been either
emitted by the object or reflected by it. Some of the important
terminologies related to light are:
Light is the energy that enables us to see. Light is emitted from a source
such as the Sun. The word usually refers to visible light, which is visible
to the human eye and is responsible for the sense of sight.
How do we see objects?
Our eyes alone do not allow us to see. Light from a source falls on an
object and then bounces off onto our eyes and that is how we perceive
it.
Laws of Reflection
Reflection
Light gets reflected off surfaces. Any surface that is really well polished
or shiny acts as a mirror. The phenomenon of light bouncing off surfaces
is called reflection.
Laws of reflection
The ray of light that strikes a reflecting surface is called the
incident ray and the ray that gets reflected back is called the
reflected ray.
The imaginary line that is perpendicular to the reflecting surface is
called the normal.
The angle of incidence ∠i is the angle between the incident ray
and the normal. The angle of reflection ∠r is the angle between the
reflected ray and the normal.
Laws of Reflection: Angle of incidence ∠i is always equal to the
Angle of reflection ∠r (∠i=∠r). The angle of incidence, the
angle of reflection and the normal all lie on the same plane.
Ray Diagram
The path taken by a narrow beam of light is depicted as a ray diagram.
Regular and Diffused Reflection
Regular and diffused reflection
Reflection from a smooth surface like a mirror that follows the laws of
reflection is called a regular reflection.
Reflection over a surface that has irregularities where it does not follow
laws of reflection is called an irregular or diffused reflection.
Image formation in a plane mirror
The image formed by a plane mirror is always virtual, erect and the
object and image are equidistant from the mirror.
The image formed in a plane mirror undergoes lateral inversion.
Difference between the real and virtual image
A real image is formed by the actual convergence of light rays. In optics,
a virtual image is an image formed when the outgoing rays from a point
on an object always diverge. The image appears to be located at the point
of apparent divergence. Because the rays never really converge, a virtual
image cannot be projected onto a screen.
Multiple reflections
Two mirrors inclined to each other give multiple images, due to
multiple reflections.
When an object is kept between two parallel plane mirrors, infinite
images are formed.
Calculating the total number of images
Number of images formed by plane mirrors is given by
n=(360∘ / θ)−1
Dispersion of light
The splitting of light into its component colours is called dispersion.
Example: Rainbow
Human Eye
The human eye is a spherically shaped sense organ (diameter about 2.3
cm) that gives the sense of sight and helps us perceive colours and depth.
Functions of different organs in the human eye
Light enters the eye through a thin membrane that forms a
transparent bulge on the front of the eye, called the cornea.
Iris is a dark muscular diaphragm that controls the size of the pupil.
The pupil is the small opening in the centre of the iris.
The lens which is behind the pupil helps to adjust the focal length
required to clearly focus on objects at various distances.
The retina is the screen where the images get formed. It is a
delicate membrane with a large number of photosensitive cells
called rods and cones.
Cones are sensitive to bright light and rods are sensitive to dim
light.
The optic nerve transmits the electrical signals from the eye to the
brain.
Visual defects
Visual defects include the inability to see near objects, or the
inability to see far objects.
In old people the lens becomes cloudy, a condition called cataract
that impairs vision.
Some eye defects are:
(i) Cataract: A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye leading to a
decrease in vision. It can affect one or both eyes. Often it develops slowly.
Symptoms may include faded colours, blurry vision, halos around light,
trouble with bright lights, and trouble seeing at night. This may result in
trouble driving, reading, or recognising faces. Cataracts are the cause of
half of blindness and 33% of visual impairment worldwide. Cataract is
treated by replacing the opaque lens with a new artificial lens.
(ii) Myopia: Near-sightedness or myopia, is the most common refractive
error of the eye. Myopia occurs when the eyeball is too long, relative to
the focusing power of the cornea and lens of the eye. This causes light
rays to focus at a point in front of the retina, rather than directly on its
surface. It can be corrected using spectacles made of concave lens.
(iii) Hypermetropia: Hypermetropia or long-sightedness occurs when
eyeball is too short or the cornea or crystalline lens does not refract the
light enough. This lead to formation of the image of a nearby object
behind the retina. A hypermetropic person may have blurred vision when
looking at objects close to them, and clearer vision when looking at
objects in the distance. By placing a convex (plus powered) lens in front
of a hypermetropic eye, the image is moved forward and focuses
correctly on the retina.
(iv) Astigmatism: It is a defect in the eye or in a lens caused by a
deviation from spherical curvature, which results in distorted images, as
light rays are prevented from meeting at a common focus. It can be
corrected by using a convex lens or concave lens or both.
Braille system
Braille is a system to read and write for visually impaired people.
Consists of 63 dot patterns or characters.
These patterns are embossed in braille sheets that can be
recognized on touch.
The dots are raised in order to make it easier to touch.
