Nature of light
• A form of energy which enables us to see
• It travels in straight line
• It travels at a very high
speed (3.0 x 108 ms-1) in
vacuum.
• It is emitted by luminous sources such as
SUN, STARS, CANDLES,
LAMPS, etc.
Nature of light
• White light is a mixture of seven
different colours namely Red,
Orange , Yellow, Green, Blue,
Indigo, Violet.
• Light is a transverse wave and
forms part of the electromagnetic
spectrum.
Light
• ray
The path along which light energy travels
is called a RAY.
• It is represented by a straight line with
an arrow to show its direction of motion.
Beam of Light
• A beam of light is a bundle of light rays.
Parallel beam Converging
beams
Diverging beams
Reflection of light
The abrupt change in the
direction of propagation of
light rays that strike the
boundary between different
medium.
Normal :
An imaginary line perpendicular to a
surface where the reflection occurs.
normal
normal
u
p
plane center
Reflection of Light(1)
The ray striking the surface (incoming
ray)
normal
Inciden Reflected
t ray i r ray
plane mirror
The ray reflected from the surface (outgoing
ray)
Reflection of Light(2)
The angle between incident ray and
normal
i = angle of incidence
r = angle of reflection
normal
Inciden Reflected
t ray
i r ray
i r
plane mirror
The angle between reflected ray and
normal
Laws of Reflection:
• Law 1: The incident ray, the reflected
ray and the normal at the point of
incidence all lie on the same plane.
• Law 2: The angle of incidence is equal
to the angle of reflection.
Angle i =Angle r
Example 1
The diagram shows a ray of light being
reflected by a plane mirror MN.
Which one of the following statements is
completely correct ?
A LP is the incident ray, PR
is the reflected ray and x is
the angle of reflection.
B. LP is the reflected ray, x is the angle of
C
incidence and y is the angle of reflection.
C. LP is the incident ray, x is the angle of
incidence and y is the angle of reflection.
D. PQ is the normal, x = y, and PR is the
incident ray.
Reflection
bythe plane mirror
Note: Normal always perpendicular
to the mirror
Plane mirror i = angle of incidence
r = angle of reflection
normal
i r
Inciden Reflected
t ray
i ray
i r
r
plane mirror
Example 2
The diagram shows a ray of light reflected in a
plane mirror.
What is the angle of reflection?
Angle incidence = 900 - 400
= 50 0
Angle of reflection = Angle of incidence
= 500
Example 3
A ray of light is reflected from a plane
mirror as shown in the diagram
below:
• What is the angle of
incidence?
• What is the size of
the angle marked b?
Angle of incidence = 900 - 100 = 800
Angle b = 100
Example 4
The diagram shows a ray of light striking a
plane mirror. What is the angle of
incidence if the total angle between the
incident ray and reflected ray is 70?
Angle of incidence
= Angle of reflection
= 700 / 2
= 350
Example 5
In the figure below, ray AB will be reflected twice.
Find the angle of reflection in the second reflection.
Copy the figure and complete the path of the ray.
A
B 300 300
r1
i 2 r2
C
u
angle r1 = 300; angle r2 = angle i2
= 900 - 300 = 600
MIRROR IMAGE(1)
CHIC DECID
K E
CHOK BO
E X
BOO BIK
MIRROR IMAGE(1)
CHICK DECIDE
CHOKE BOX
BOOK BIKE
MIRROR IMAGE(2)
CHECK
POWER
LIGHT BED
POLES SPEED
MIRROR IMAGE(2)
CHECK POWER
LIGHT BED
POLES SPEED
Formation of images on
a plane mirror:
• To the eye, all the reflected rays
appear to have come from I,
the image.
• Thus, the image formed is
virtual.
Real and Virtual I mages
• A real image is one which can be
formed on a screen.
• It is produced by ray that converge
at the position of the image.
• A virtual image is one which
cannot be formed on a screen.
• It is produced by reflection of light.
I mage formed
by Plane Mirror:
• It is virtual.
• It is upright.
• It is lateral inverted.
• It has the same size as the object.
• Distance of the image from the mirror
is equal to the distance of the object
from the mirror.
Example
A person stands 2.0 m in front of the mirror as
shown. How far from the person is her
image?
Image is 4.0 m
from the
person.
Example
The diagram shows two divergent rays of
light from an object O being reflected from
a plane mirror.
At which position will the image be
formed?
B
Ray diagram showing
the
formation of an image
mirror
object image
image
object
i normal
r
Note: mirror
eye i=r
I mage formed
by
the plane mirror
Various cases of rays:
Plane mirror Black surface
Regular reflection Absorption
Glass
Irregular surface Glass block
Diffuse reflection Transmission
Two types of Reflection:
1. Regular reflection ( Image formed
by plane, a smooth surface, image
can see by our eyes)
(continue …)
2. Diffuse reflection ( Image formed by
white paper, with rough surface. Image
formed usually not clear)
November 1989
8. Which of the following correctly describes the image
formed in a plane mirror when compared to the
object?
A. virtual smaller
B. virtual same size
C. virtual larger
D. real same size
B
Nov 1990
6. An object ‘O’ is placed in front of a plane mirror.
A viewer looks into the mirror as shown in the
diagram.
In which position is the image of O formed?
B
Nov 1991
10. The diagram shows a ray of light
being reflected by a plane mirror MN.
Which one of the following statements is
completely correct ?
A LP is the incident
ray, PR is the
reflected ray and
x is the angle of reflection.
B LP is the reflected ray, x is the angle of
incidence and y is the angle of
reflection.
C LP is the incident ray, x is the angle of
C
incidence and y is the angle of
reflection.
D PQ is the normal, x = y, and PR is the
GCE ‘O’ LEVEL Nov 1995
4. The diagram below shows the position I of the
image formed by a plane mirror of an object O.
I O
(a) Continue the two rays drawn leaving O to show
how they would be reflected at the mirror.
[2]
(Cont. …) Q. 4 Nov 1995
4.(b) I is a virtual image. Explain the
meaning of this. [2]
Since the image, I, is produced by the reflection of
light and cannot project on a screen, there-
fore it is a virtual image.
