1.What is refraction of light ?

A: The bending of light when it passes obliquely from one medium to light.

2.What is the cause of refraction of light ?

A:The refraction of light is due to the fact that speed of light is different in different
media.
3.Define refractive index and express it mathematically. (CBSE 2011, 2012)
Or
Define absolute refractive index of a medium. (CBSE 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016)
A:Refractive index is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum (c) to the
speed of light in medium (v). That is, n = c/v .
4.Write Snell’s law. (CBSE 2011)

where i = incident angle, r = refracted angle and n21 = constant

and is the refractive index of medium 2 with respect to
medium 1.
5.If refractive index of water for light going from air to water is 1.33, what will be the
refractive index of air for light going from water to air ? (CBSE 2011)

6.Why does a ray of light bend when it travels from one medium into another ? [CBSE
A:This is because speed of light changes when light goes from one medium to another
medium.
7.Why is the absolute refractive index of a medium always greater than one ? (CBSE 2011,
A:Absolute refractive index, n = c/v . Since c > v, therefore, n > 1.
8.The refractive index of glass is 1.5. What is the meaning of this statement in relation to
speed of light ?[CBSE (Delhi) 2008]
9.A ray of light PQ is incident on a glass slab as shown. Write the values of angle of
incidence and angle of refraction for this ray of light.
Or
A ray of light is incident normally to the surface of a glass slab placed in air. Find the
angle of incident and angle of refraction in this case. (CBSE 2011, 2013)

10.What happens when a ray of light strikes the surface of separation between the two
media at right angle ? (CBSE 2011)
A:There is no refraction of light and the ray of light continues to travel along the same path.
11.What is the lateral displacement of the ray of light ?
Answer:
Lateral displacement of the ray of light = 2 mm. on Refraction by spherical lens
12.State laws of refraction of light. [CBSE (Foreign) 2004, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015]
Refraction of light follows the following two laws :
1.The incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal to the surface separating the two
media all lie in the same plane.
2.The ratio of the sine of the incident angle (∠i) to the sine of the refracted angle (∠r) is
constant for a pair of two media.

This constant is known as the refractive index of the medium in which refracted ray
travels with respect to the medium in which incident ray travels. Refractive index is
denoted by n.
3.Refractive index of second medium with respect to the first medium is denoted by
Thus, eqn. (1) can be written as

This law is also known as Snell’s law as it was stated by Prof. Willebrord Snell (Dutch
mathematician and astronomer).
13.Prove that if a ray of light enters a rectangular glass slab obliquely and emerges from
the opposite face of the glass slab, the emergent ray will be parallel to the incident ray.
[CBSE (Foreign) 2004]
Or
(a) With the help of a diagram, show that when light falls obliquely on a side of a
rectangular glass slab, the emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray. (CBSE 2013)
(b) Show the lateral displacement of the ray on the diagram. (CBSE 2008)
A . Perform an experiment to demonstrate that light bends from its path, when it falls
obliquely on the surface of a glass slab. Also show that angle of incidence is about equal
to the emergent angle.
1.Take a glass slab and place it on a white sheet of paper fixed on a drawing board.
2.Mark the boundary ABCD of the glass slab.
3.Fix two pins P1 and P2, vertically on the drawing board such that line joining the pins is
inclined to the edge AB of the glass slab.
4.Now, look through the glass slab from opposite side so that the images of pins P1 and
P2 are seen exactly in line. Fix two pins P3 and P4, vertically on the drawing board such that
pins P3, P4 and image of P1 and P2 are exactly in one line.
Remove the glass slab and all pins. Join the points P1 and
P2 with a line and extend this line to touch the edge AB at P.
Similarly join the points P3 and P4 with a line and extend the
line to touch the edge DC at Q.
Join points P and Q with a straight line.
Draw normal NN’ at P on the edge AB and a normal N1N1‘ at Q
on the edge DC.
Measure ∠P2 PN and ∠P3 QN1‘ using a protractor or dee.
This experiment shows that when light falls obliquely on a glass
slab, it bends along PQ from its original path along PL.
Also ∠P2PN ≈ ∠P3QN1‘. That is, angle of incidence is about equal
to the emergent angle.
Note : Distance between pins P1 and P2, and between P3 and P4 must
be large.

14.For the same angle of incidence 45°, the angle of refraction in two transparent media : I
and II is 20° and 30° respectively. Out of I and II, which medium is optically denser and why
? (CBSE 2011)
1.What do you understand by optical centre of a lens ?
A:A point in a lens through which rays of light pass without deviation in their original
path.
2.Define focal length of a lens. [CBSE (All India) 2005]
A.The distance between the optical centre and principal focus of a lens is called the focal
length of the lens.
3.Write lens formula. Or Write relation between u, v and for a lens. (CBSE 2014, 2016)
1 1 1
− =
𝑣 𝑢 𝑓
4.State the relation between the height of an object (h), height of image (h), object
distance (u) and image distance (v) in case of a lens. (CBSE 2011)

5.Incident ray AB falls on a lens. The refracted ray is BC as shown in figure. Name the
lens.
Answer:
Since the ray AB converges along BC after passing
6.Incident ray AB falls on a lens. The refracted ray BC is shown in figure. Name the lens.
Answer:
Since the ray AB diverges along BC after passing through the
lens, so the lens is diverging or concave lens.

7.If on applying cartesian sign conventions for spherical lenses, the image distance
obtained is negative, state the significance of the negative sign. (CBSE 2011)
A:Negative sign with image distance signifies that image is formed on the same side in
which the object lies or image is formed in front of the lens
8.If on applying cartesian sign conventions for spherical lenses, the image distance
obtained is negative, state the significance of the negative sign. (CBSE 2011)
A:Negative sign with image distance signifies that image is formed on the same side in
which the object lies or image is formed in front of the lens.
9.Define power of a lens and write its SI unit. [CBSE Saniple Paper 2010, 2012, 2015,
2016)]
APower of a lens is its ability to converge or diverge the rays of light falling on it. Power of
a lens is equal to reciprocal of the focal length of the lens.
SI unit of power is dioptre (D).
10.In what SI unit is the power of lenses stated ? [CBSE (Foreign ) 2005)]
Answer: Dioptre (D).
11.A convex lens forms a virtual and magnified image. What should he the position of
the object on the principal axis ?
A:Between focus and the optical centre of the lens
12.State the relation between the focal length (f) and power of a lens.
Or
How are power and focal length of a lens related ? [NCERT Question Bank; CBSE 2016]

13.A lens has -4D power. Is the lens concave or convex ?

A :Lens is concave.
14.A convex lens is placed in contact with a concave lens so that the power of the
combination is positive. Name the type of the lens, this combination of lenses behaves.
A : Power of a convex lens is positive and the power of a concave lens is negative. Since
the power of combination of lenses is positive, so the combination of lenses behaves as a
convex lens.
15.What is the difference between a convex lens (converging lens) and a concave lens
(diverging lens) ?(CBSE 2012)
Convex lens Concave lens
1. It is thick in the middle and thin at
1. It is thin in middle and thick at edges.
edges.
2. When placed close to eye, it forms
2. It forms diminished image of an object.
magnified image of an object. For example,
If you place it close to your book, the words
if you place it close to your book, the words
will appear small in size.
will appear large in size.
16.Study the ray diagram given below and answer the following questions :
(i)State the type of lens used in the figure.
(ii) List two properties of the image formed.
(iii) In which position of the object will the
magnification be – 1 ? (Sample Paper 2012-
13)
 (i) Lens is convex lens.
(ii) Image formed is real, inverted and
enlarged.

If object is placed at 2F1 Size of image = Size of object, then in this case, m = – 1.
17.Draw ray-diagrams to describe the nature, position and relative size of the image formed
(i) by a convex lens for the object when it is placed at 2F1
(ii) by a concave mirror for the object when it is placed between pole P and focus F.

18.Draw ray diagrams to describe the nature, position and’relative size of the image formed
by a convex lens for the object
(i) When the object is placed at F1 and
(ii) When the object is placed between F1 and optical centre of the lens. (CBSE 2011, 2016)
(i) (ii)

19.Draw ray diagrams to describe the nature, position and relative size of the image formed
by a concave lens for the object
(i) When the object is placed at infinity and
(ii) When the object is placed to between infinity and optical centre of the lens. (CBSE
2011,12
(ii)
(i)