LIGHT SCIENCE G8

01.

Rays of Light
Light is electromagnetic radiation which
is visible to the human eye
 Properties of Material
Non Luminous
Luminous Material
Can generate their own Material
Can’t generate their own
light light
Ex: Sun, Bulb, and object
with Fire Transparent Opaque
Translucent
Object Object
Object allow Object do not Object allow light
light to pass allow light to pass to pass through
through them. through them. them partially.

Ex: air, glass, Ex: a book, Ex: A piece of

pure water, and cardboard, wood, tissue, paper,
some plastic, etc. etc frosted glass
 THE BEHAVIOUR OF LIGHT RAYS
When a light ray reaches a surface 3 things can happen:

The Ray of light is absorbed, transmitted or reflected

depending on the properties of the material.
 BEHAVIOUR OF LIGHT RAYS
02.
Absorbing, Reflecting, & Transmitting,
A. ABSORBTION
• When light is absorbed it does
not pass through or reflect from a
material.
• It remains in the material as
another form of energy
(example: heat energy, that
warming the object up slightly. Absorption & Seeing
Color
B. TRANSMITION
• The ray passes through the
object and carries the energy
with it.
• Example of Transparent
Object : Air, glass, pure water
some Plastics
 C. REFLECTION
Reflection is when light bounces off an object. Light rays change direction when they
reflect off a surface, move from one transparent medium into another, or travel
through a medium whose composition is continuously changing.

TYPE OF REFLECTION

Specular Reflection Diffuse reflection

is defined as light reflected from a is produced by rough surfaces that
smooth surface at a definite angle tend to reflect light in all directions
 Reflection of Light
03. If the light is reflected, the ray leaves the
object & keeps on travelling
 REFLECTION AND SURFACES
PLANE
MIRROR
Is a mirror with a flat (planar) reflective
surface

CONCAVE MIRROR
Has a reflecting surface that is recessed
inward (away from the incident light).
Concave mirrors reflect light inward to one
focal point

CONVEX MIRROR
Is a mirror in which the reflective surface
bulges toward the light source.
 LAW OF REFLECTION
A Law of Physics that governs the way light reflects from objects

Incident ray, reflected ray

and the normal line lie on
the same plane surface.

The angle of incidence

is equal to the angle of
reflection.
 PLANE MIRROR
Look at your self in front of a mirror and describe the image
appear.
• Characteristic of reflection (image):
Virtual (Behind Mirror)
- Upright but laterally inverted (Left side inversion)
- Same shape and size
• Angle of Incidence = Angle of reflection
• Distance of the Object to the mirror = Distance of the
mirror to the image
• Object distance = image distance
• Distance of the Object to the Image = 2x object distance
 Example Worked :
1. An object is 4 meters in front of a plane mirror. If the object is moved 2 meters away from the mirror. What is
the object distance and the image distance when the object has been moved?

2. Look at the picture below!

A ray comes to a plane mirror and makes angle 250 to the mirror. What is the angle of the reflected ray? Show
your answer by drawing it.
3. Look at the Picture below.
What Is the angle of final reflected ray?

or 2
370 Mirr

Mirror 1
 Other chroaracteristics of Plane mirror
• Minimum mirror length
To have a full image on a mirror, we don’t need too big mirror. Instead, we need just right size of
mirror. l(So that the entire image is visible on a plane mirror)

ρ = Length of mirror (m)

ho = Height of Object (m)

• Image formed on Two Plane Mirrors :

n = Number of images formed
α = The angle formed by the two mirrors
 Example Worked :
1. Two mirrors is set and make an angle of 60º. Then between the two mirrors is placed an object. How
many images can be formed?

2. Naura's height is 150 cm. What is the minimum height of a plane mirror needed, so that she can see the
image of her whole body?
Exercise
1. Look at the picture below. What Is the angle of final
reflected ray?

350

2. An object is 16 meters in front of a plane 3. Two mirrors make an angle of 45º. Then
mirror. If the object is moved 4 meter toward the between the two mirrors is placed an object. How
mirror. What is the object distance and the many images can be formed?
image distance when the object has been
moved?
PRACTICE 2
4. Two mirrors set as shown on picture below. What Is the angle of final reflected ray?

47 0
Mir
ror
1

0
118

Mirror 2
 RULES IN DRAWING
A RAY OF LIGHT

CONCAVE MIRROR (+)

CONVEX MIRROR (-)
 CONCAVE
MIRROR (+)
 Important Term :
C = Centre of curvature
F = Principal Focus
P = Pole of Mirror
R1-4 = Room 1 - 4

R3 R2 R1 R4
 CONCAVE & CONVEX MIRROR
• Image formation on concave & convex mirror using a ray diagram

RULES 1. A ray of light running parallel to the principal axis passes through
the principal focus F of a concave mirror after reflection.
 CONCAVE & CONVEX MIRROR
RULES 2. A ray of light passing through the principal focus of a concave
mirror becomes parallel to the principal axis after reflection.
 CONCAVE & CONVEX MIRROR
RULES 3. A ray of light passing through the centre of curvature in a concave
mirror is reflected back along the same path.
.
 CONCAVE & CONVEX MIRROR
RULES 4. A ray incident at pole is reflected back making same angle with
principal axis
Image formed when object on
Room 2

Object

Image

RULES 1. A ray of light running RULES 2. A ray of light passing

parallel to the principal axis passes Characteristic image: through the principal focus of a
through the principal focus F of a Real, Inverted, and Enlarged concave mirror becomes parallel to
concave mirror after reflection. the principal axis after reflection.
 Image formed when object on
Room 3 (R3)

Object

Image

RULES 1. A ray of light running RULES 2. A ray of light passing

parallel to the principal axis passes Characteristic image: through the principal focus of a
through the principal focus F of a Real, Inverted, and Diminished concave mirror becomes parallel to
concave mirror after reflection. the principal axis after reflection.
 Image formed when object on
Room 1 (R1)

Image

Object

RULES 1. A ray of light running RULES 3. A ray of light passing through

parallel to the principal axis passes Characteristic image: the centre of curvature in a concave
through the principal focus F of a Virtual, Erect, and Enlarged mirror is reflected back along the same
concave mirror after reflection. path.
 R3 R2 R1 R4
Real & Inverted virtual & Erect
 The Focal Point of Concave Mirror Example :
1. A 15 cm tall light object is placed at a distance of 120 cm from a
concave mirror with a focal length of 40 cm. Determine the image
distance, its magnification and the image's height. Mention the
characteristic of the image!

Radius of Curvature
Equation : f = focal length of mirror
R = Radius of Curvature
R = 2.f
Magnification

hi = Image’s height
Image Height
M = Magnification
Equation : hi = M x ho
ho = Object’s Height
hi = 0,5 x 15
hi = M. ho hi = 7.5 cm
 The sign conventions for the given
quantities in the mirror equation and
magnification equation are as follows:

• Focal length is valued (+) if the mirror is a concave

mirror.
• Focal length is valued (-) if the mirror is a convex
mirror.
• Image distance is valued (+) if the image is in front
of the mirror. The image is real.
• Image distance is valued (-) if the image is behind hi = M x ho
hi = 0.5 x 15
the mirror! The image is virtual.
hi = 7.5 cm
• Characteristic of the image
Example :
1. A 15 cm tall light object is placed at a distance of 120 Real, inverted : Because result distance of image is in positive number(60)
cm from a concave mirror with a focal length of 40 cm. and it means image formed in front of mirror

Determine the image distance, its magnification and Diminished : Because height for image (hi) < height for object (ho)
the image's height. Mention the characteristic of the hi (7.5 cm) < ho (15 cm)

image! Characteristic of the image = Real, inverted & Diminished

Try your self :
A 4 cm tall light object is placed at a distance of 24 cm from a concave mirror with a focal length of 6 cm.
Determine the image distance, its magnification and the image's height. Mention the characteristic of the
image.

= 0.3 cm • Characteristic of the image

Real, inverted : Because result distance of image is in positive

number(8) and it means image formed in front of mirror

Diminished : Because height for image (hi) < height for object (ho)
hi (1.2 cm) < ho (4 cm)

Characteristic of the image = Real, inverted & Diminished

hi = 1.2 cm
A 10 cm tall light object is placed at a distance of 20 cm from a concave mirror with a focal length of 40 cm.
Determine the image distance, its magnification, and the image's height. Mention the characteristic of the
image!

= 2 cm • Characteristic of the image

Real, inverted : Because result distance of image is in Negative

number(-40) and it means image formed in behind of mirror

Enlarged : Because height for image (hi) > height for object (ho)
hi = M x ho hi (20 cm) > ho (10 cm)
hi = 2 x 10 cm
Characteristic of the image = Virtual, Erect & Enlarged
hi = 20 cm