Light is a source of energy. It is detected by our eyes.

Speed of light in vacuum is 3.00 x 108 m/s.

Object can be seen when the light rays coming from it enter our eyes.

Luminous object like Sun and lamp are seen directly because they give off their own light.

A non-luminous object is only seen when it reflects light from a source like the lamp as it does not give light
on its own.

Reflection of Light:

To describe the terms in the diagram above, here it goes:

● The ray of light which strikes the surface is called the incident ray.
● The ray of light which leaves the surface is called the reflected ray.
● A line perpendicular to the surface is imagined at the point of reflection. This line is called a normal.
In this context the word normal means perpendicular. In the above diagram the normal is colored
blue.
● The angle between the incident ray and the normal is called the angle of incidence, or the incident
angle.
 ● The angle between the reflected ray and the normal is called the angle of reflection, or the reflected
angle.
Notice that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

Laws of Reflection:
This is just a brief summary of what we have already learned.
● Angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection
● Incident ray, reflected ray and normal at the point of incidence, all lie in the same plane.

Ray diagrams for reflection

Firstly, draw the arrow in the mirror (on the opposite side of mirror line). Where should it be? We have just
learned that the reflected image is the same distance from the mirror as the object is from the mirror. So now
draw the arrow like this:

Secondly, join one end of the image to the eye.

Remember to draw the arrow head in the right direction. The light ray is going into the eye, so the arrow will
be toward eye.
Now, the point where the joined line cuts the mirror, draw the line from the extreme till there.

Repeat it with the other extreme end of the arrow.

Now, the lines in blue are incident rays while those in red are reflected ones.

Describe an experiment to find the position and characteristics of an optical image formed by a plane mirror

Apparatus:

Standing object (optical pin)

Mirror

Graph paper
As shown above, the man and the ball are reflected in the mirror. The image formed in the mirror has certain
characteristics:
● it is of the same size as the object
● it undergoes lateral inversion (your left arm will be your right arm in the reflected image)
● it is upright
● it is virtual as it is not formed on a screen
● the distance of the image from the mirror is equal to the distance of the object from the mirror

Refraction of light

It is the bending of light when it enters another medium. For example, if light enters from air to water, it
will bend. This happens due to the change in speed of light as it changes medium. That change of speed
causes bending. This phenomenon is called refraction.
Refraction of light from air to glass

Refraction from water to air

Light incident at right angle to a surface of glass

To summarize:
● Refraction is caused by the change in speed of light.
● At the boundary of 2 optical media, if there is a sudden change in the speed of light, it will cause the
path of light to bend.
● Light travels fastest in air/vacuum.

Laws of Refraction

● Incident ray, refracted ray and normal at the point of incidence, all lie in the same plane.
● The refractive index of a medium is a constant and it is calculated as
sin i / sin r = refractive index