Q1. Why do we prefer a convex mirror as a rear-view mirror in vehicles?

Ans. We prefer a convex mirror as a rear-view mirror in vehicles because of the following reasons:

A convex mirror always forms a virtual, erect, and diminished image of the objects. This means that
the image is upright, smaller than the actual object, and behind the mirror. A virtual image can be
seen by the eye but cannot be projected on a screen.

A convex mirror has a wide field of view due to its curved shape. This means that it can reflect light
from a larger area and show more objects in the mirror. A wide field of view is useful for drivers to
see the traffic behind them and avoid accidents.

A convex mirror has a smaller focal length than a plane or concave mirror. This means that it can
form an image of an object even when it is very close to the mirror. A smaller focal length is helpful
for drivers to see the objects behind them clearly and judge their distance accurately

Q2. A ray of light travelling in air enters obliquely into water. Does the light ray bend towards the
normal or away from the normal? Why?

Ans. When a ray of light travels from air into water, it bends towards the normal. This is because of
the phenomenon of refraction, which is the change in direction of light when it passes from one
medium to another with a different refractive index.

The refractive index of a medium is a measure of how much the speed of light changes when it
enters that medium. The higher the refractive index, the slower the speed of light. The speed of light
in vacuum is the highest, and it is denoted by c. The speed of light in any other medium is denoted
by v. The refractive index of a medium is defined as the ratio of c to v.

Refractive index = c v

When light travels from air into water, it encounters a medium with a higher refractive index. This
means that the speed of light decreases as it enters water. According to Snell’s law, which relates the
angles of incidence and refraction to the refractive indices of the two media, when light travels from
a rarer medium (lower refractive index) to a denser medium (higher refractive index), it bends
towards the normal.

Snell’s law: n 1 sin θ 1 = n 2 sin θ 2

where n 1 and n 2 are the refractive indices of the two media, and θ 1 and θ 2 are the angles of
incidence and refraction, respectively.

The normal is a line perpendicular to the boundary between the two media at the point of incidence.

The bending of light towards the normal when it travels from air into water can be explained by using
the wave model of light. According to this model, light is composed of electromagnetic waves that
have crests and troughs. When a wavefront (a line joining all the crests or troughs) hits a boundary at
an angle, different parts of the wavefront enter the new medium at different times. The part of the
wavefront that enters first encounters a higher refractive index and slows down more than the part
that enters later. This causes the wavefront to change its direction and bend towards the normal.
Q3. Light enters from air to glass having refractive index 1.50. What is the speed of light in the glass?
The speed of light in vacuum is 3 x 108 ms-1

Ans. the speed of light in the glass, we can use the formula for refractive index:

Refractive index = c v

where c is the speed of light in vacuum, v is the speed of light in the medium, and refractive index is
the ratio of c to v.

Rearranging the formula, we get:

v = c refractive index

Substituting the given values, we get:

v = 3 × 10 8 1.50

v = 2 × 10 8 m s − 1

Therefore, the speed of light in the glass is 2 × 10 8 m s − 1

Q4. You are given kerosene, turpentine and water. In which of these does the light travel fastest?

Ans. the refractive index of kerosene is 1.44, that of turpentine is 1.47 and that of water is 1.33. The
speed of light is inversely proportional to the refractive index, which means that light travels faster in
a medium with a lower refractive index. Therefore, the light travels fastest in water because of its
lower optical density

Q5. Draw a schematic representation of different type of mirrors.

Ans.

Q6. Define:

Ans. (a) Reflection of light is the phenomenon of bouncing back of light when it strikes a smooth
polished surface. The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of
reflection, and the incident ray, the normal and the reflected ray all lie in the same plane.

(b) A beam of light is a directional projection of light energy radiating from a light source. A beam of
light can be classified into three types based on the direction of light rays: parallel, convergent and
divergent.

- A parallel beam of light consists of light rays that are parallel to each other and do not converge or
diverge. An example of a parallel beam of light is sunlight.

- A convergent beam of light consists of light rays that come together (converge) at a single point
after reflection or refraction. An example of a convergent beam of light is a spotlight.

- A divergent beam of light consists of light rays that move away from each other (diverge) with time.
An example of a divergent beam of light is a flashlight.
Q7. Define light and write its properties.

Ans. Light is a form of energy that enables us to see our surroundings. Light is made of photons,
which are the smallest units of the visible light spectrum. Light is also a form of electromagnetic
radiation, which means it can travel through space without a medium.

Some of the properties of light are:

Light travels in straight lines, unless it is reflected, refracted, diffracted or interfered by an object or a
medium.

Light has a constant speed of 3 x 108 m/s in a vacuum, but it slows down when it passes through
different media.

Light has a dual nature, which means it can behave as both a particle and a wave under different
conditions.

Light has different wavelengths and frequencies, which determine its colour and energy. The visible
light spectrum ranges from red (longest wavelength, lowest frequency) to violet (shortest
wavelength, highest frequency).

Light can be reflected, refracted, diffracted and interfered by objects or media, which can change its
direction, speed, wavelength and intensity.

Light can also be polarized, which means it can vibrate in a specific direction or plane.

Light can also be dispersed, which means it can split into its component colours when it passes
through a prism or a raindrop.

Q8. Write four differences between real and virtual image.

Ans. Four differences between real and virtual image are:

- Real images are formed by the actual intersection of light rays, while virtual images are formed by
the imaginary intersection of light rays.

- Real images can be captured on a screen, while virtual images cannot be reproduced on a screen.

- Real images are inverted, while virtual images are erect.

- Real images are formed by converging lenses or concave mirrors, while virtual images are formed by
diverging lenses or convex mirrors.

Q9. An object of height 6 cm is placed perpendicular to the principal axis of a concave lens of focal
length 5 cm. Use lens formula to determine the position, size and nature of the image if the distance
of the object from the lens is 10 cm.

Ans. Using the lens formula, 1/f = 1/v - 1/u, where f is the focal length, v is the image distance and u
is the object distance, we can find v as follows:

1/ (-5) = 1/v - 1/ (-10) 1/v = 1/ (-5) + 1/10 1/v = -1/10 v = -10 cm

This means the image is formed 10 cm behind the object on the same side of the lens. The image is
virtual, erect and diminished. To find the size of the image, we can use the magnification formula, m
= v/u = h’/h, where h is the object height and h’ is the image height. We get:
m = -10/ (-10) = h’/6 h’ = 6 cm

The image has the same size as the object.

10. Define refractive index and relative refractive index.

Ans. Refractive index is a measure of how much a medium bends light when it passes through it. It is
defined as the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in the medium. Relative
refractive index is the ratio of the refractive indices of two media. It is also equal to the ratio of the
speed of light in one medium to the speed of light in another medium.

11. The absolute refractive indices of glass and water are 43 and 32 respectively. If the speed of light
in glass is 2 × 108 ms-1, calculate the speed of light in (i) vacuum and (ii) water.

11.The absolute refractive index of a medium is equal to the speed of light in vacuum divided by the
speed of light in that medium. Therefore, we can find the speed of light in vacuum as follows:

n_glass = c/v_glass c = n_glass * v_glass c = 43 * (2 * 10^8) c = 8.6 * 10^9 m/s

This is an unrealistic value, as the speed of light in vacuum is known to be about 3 * 10^8 m/s. This
means either the given values of n_glass and v_glass are incorrect, or there is a typo in the question.

12. Define power of a lens. What is its unit? One student uses a lens of focal length 50 cm and
another of -50 cm. What is the nature of the lens and its power used by each of them?

Ans. To find the speed of light in water, we can use the relative refractive index as follows:

n_water/n_glass = v_glass/v_water v_water = v_glass * n_glass/n_water v_water = (2 * 10^8) *

Again, this is an unrealistic value, as the speed of light in water should be less than that in glass.

Power of a lens is a measure of how much a lens converges or diverges light rays. It is defined as the
reciprocal of the focal length of the lens. Its unit is dioptre (D), which is equal to m^-1.

The student who uses a lens of focal length 50 cm has a positive focal length, which means he or she
uses a converging lens or a convex lens. The power of this lens is:

P = 1/f P = 1/ (0.5) P = 2 D

The student who uses a lens of focal length -50 cm has a negative focal length, which means he or
she uses a diverging lens or a concave lens. The power of this lens is:

P = 1/f P = 1/ (-0.5) P = -2 D