REFLECTION OF LIGHT

The return of light into the same

medium after striking a surface is
called reflection.

Kinds of reflection: There are the following two kinds of reflection:

(i) Regular reflection, and
(ii) Irregular reflection.

(i) Regular reflection: Regular reflection occurs when a beam of light falls on a
smooth and Regular
reflection polished
surface, such as a plane
mirror.
(ii) Irregular reflection:
Irregular reflection
occurs when a beam of
light falls on a rough or
ordinary surface such as
the wall of a room, the
page of a book or any other object. It is the diffused light obtained by
reflection from various uneven surfaces which enables us to see the objects
around us.

SOME TERMS RELATED WITH REFLECTION

(i) Incident ray: The light ray striking a reflecting surface is called the incident
ray.
(ii) Point of incidence: The point at which the incident ray strikes the
reflecting surface, is called the point of incidence.
(iii) Reflected ray: The light ray
obtained after reflection from the
surface, in the same medium in which
the incident ray is travelling, is called
the reflected ray.
(iv) Normal: The perpendicular drawn
to the surface at the point of incidence,
is called the normal.
(v) Angle of incidence: The angle which the incident ray makes with the
normal at the point of incidence, is called the angle of incidence. It is denoted
by the letter i.
(vi) Angle of reflection: The angle which the reflected ray makes with the
normal at the point of incidence, is called the angle of reflection. It is denoted
by the letter r.
(vii) Plane of incidence: The plane containing the incident ray and the normal,
is called the plane of incidence.
(viii) Plane of reflection: The plane containing the reflected ray and the
normal, is called the plane of reflection.

LAWS OF REFLECTION
(1) The angle of incidence i is equal to the angle of reflection r (i.e. ∠i = ∠r) .
(2) The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal at the point of incidence,
lie in the same plane.

FORMATION OF IMAGE BY REFLECTION

From each point of an illuminated object, rays of light travel in all directions.
To find the position of image of an object formed by a mirror after reflection,
we need to consider at least two rays of light incident on the mirror from a
point of object.

Types of image: The image can be of two types:

(a) real image, and
(b) virtual image.
Real image
1. A real image is formed due to actual intersection of the reflected rays.
2. A real image can be obtained on a screen.
3. A real image is inverted with respect to the object.
Example: The image an of a distant object formed by a concave mirror.

Virtual image
1. A virtual image is formed when the reflected rays meet if they are produced
backwards.
2. A virtual image cannot be obtained on a screen.
3. A virtual image is erect with respect to the object.
Example: The image of object formed by a plane mirror or by a convex mirror.

POSITION OF IMAGE
The image I is as far behind the mirror as the
object O is in front of it. The image is situated on
the normal drawn from the object on the mirror
and it is as far behind the mirror as the object is
in front of it.

LATERAL INVERSION
The interchange of the left and right sides in
the image of an object in a plane mirror is
called lateral inversion.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE IMAGE FORMED BY A PLANE MIRROR

The image formed by a plane
mirror has the following
characteristics :
(i) upright (or erect),
(ii) virtual,
(iii) of same size as the object,
and
(iv) laterally inverted.
The location of the image is given by the fact that, the image is situated at the
same perpendicular distance behind the mirror as the object is in front of it.

IMAGES FORMED IN TWO INCLINED MIRRORS

For an object kept in between two inclined plane mirrors, we get many images
of the object. This is because the light rays after reflection from one mirror
fall on the other mirror.
The object and the images formed by the two inclined mirrors lie on the
circumference of a circle whose centre lies at the point of intersection of the
two mirrors and radius is equal to the distance of object from the point of
intersection.

IMAGES FORMED IN A PAIR OF MIRRORS PLACED

PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER
For two mirror kept parallel to each other, an
infinite number of images are formed for an object
kept in between them.

IMAGES FORMED BY TWO MIRRORS PLACED

PERPENDICULAR TO EACH OTHER
For two mirrors kept perpendicular to each other, three
images are formed for an object kept in between them.

USES OF PLANE MIRROR

(1) The most common and wide use is as a looking glass
(2) In the optician's room to increase the effective length of the room.
(3) In the barber's shop for seeing the hair at the back of head. Here two
mirrors facing each he other are fixed on opposite walls at the front and back
of the viewer.
((4) In a periscope, two parallel plane mirrors each inclined at 45° with vertical
walls are placed facing each other.
(5) In a kaleidoscope, three plane mirrors inclined with each other at 60° are
used. If small coloured bangle pieces are kept between the mirrors, beautiful
hexagonal patterns are seen. On rotating the tube, the designs of patterns
change.

SPHERICAL MIRRORS
A reflecting surface which is a part of a sphere is
called a spherical mirror.
Types of Spherical Mirror:
(i) Concave mirror
A concave mirror is made by silvering the
outer surface of the piece of a hollow
sphere
(ii) Convex mirror
A convex mirror is made by silvering the
inner surface of the piece of a hollow
sphere such that the reflection takes
place from the outer surface.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF TERMS RELATED TO A SPHERICAL MIRROR

(1) Centre of curvature
The centre of curvature of a mirror is the centre of the sphere of which the
mirror is a part.
(2) Radius of curvature
The radius of sphere of which the spherical
mirror is a part, is called the radius of curvature
of the mirror.
(3) Pole
The geometric centre of the spherical surface of mirror is called the pole of
mirror.
(4) Aperture
The plane surface area of the mirror through which light rays enter and fall
on the mirror is called its aperture.
(5) Principal axis
It is the straight line joining the pole of the mirror to its centre of curvature.

FOCUS AND FOCAL LENGTH

The focus of a concave mirror is a
point on the principal axis through
which the light ray’s incident parallel
to the principal axis, pass after
reflection from the mirror.
The focus of a convex mirror is a
point on the principal axis from
which, the light ray’s incident
parallel to the principal axis, appear
to come, after reflection from the mirror.

CONVENIENT RAYS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF IMAGE BY RAY DIAGRAM

(1) A ray passing through the centre of curvature,
(2) A ray parallel to the principal axis,
(3) A ray passing through the focus,
(4) A ray incident at the pole.
(1) A ray passing through the centre of
curvature
A ray passing through (or directed
towards) the centre of curvature of a
spherical mirror, is reflected back along
its own path.

(2) A ray parallel to the principal

axis
A ray incident parallel to the
principal axis, after reflection from
a spherical mirror either passes or
appears to be coming from focus.

(3) A ray passing through the focus

A ray either incident from the focus
(or converging at the focus), after
reflection from a spherical mirror
becomes parallel to the principal axis.

(4) A ray incident at the pole

For a ray incident at the pole of a
spherical mirror, the reflected ray
is at an angle of reflection equal
to the angle of incidence with
principal axis as normal.

RAY DIAGRAMS FOR FORMATION OF IMAGES

IN A CONCAVE MIRROR
Case (i): When the object is at infinity
When the object is at infinity, the image is at
the focus F. It is (i) Real, (ii) Inverted and (iii)
Diminished to a point.
Case (ii) When the object is at a far distance
When object is at a far distance, image is in
the focal plane of the mirror. It is (i) Real, (ii)
Inverted, and (iii) Highly diminished.

Case (iii): When object is beyond the

centre of curvature
When object is beyond the centre of
curvature C, the image is between the
focus F and the centre of curvature C. It
is (i) Real, (ii) Inverted, and (iii)
Diminished.

Case (iv): When object is at the centre of

curvature C
When the object is at the centre of
curvature C, the image is also at the
centre of curvature C. It is (i) Real, (ii)
Inverted, and (iii) Size same as that of the
object.

Case (v): When object is between the

centre of curvature C and focus F
When the object is between the centre
of curvature C and the focus F. the
image is beyond the centre of
curvature C. It is (i) Real, (ii) Inverted,
and (iii) Magnified.

Case (vi); When object is at the focus F

When the object is at the focus F, the image is
at infinity. It is (i) Real, (ii) Inverted, and (iii)
Highly magnified.
Case (vii): When the object is between the
focus F and the pole P
When the object is between the focus F
and pole P, the image is behind the mirror.
It is (i) Virtual, (ii) Upright, and (iii)
Magnified.

USES OF SPHERICAL MIRRORS

Uses of a concave mirror
(1) As a shaving mirror : When a concave mirror is held near the face, it gives
an upright and magnified and hence even the tiny hairs on the face can easily
be seen. For this, a concave mirror of large focal length and large aperture is
used.
(2) As a reflector: In torch,
search light, and head light
of automobiles, cycles etc., a
concave polished metallic
surface is used as a reflector
to obtain a parallel beam of
light. For this, the source of
light (i.e., bulb) is placed at
the focus of concave
As a doctor's head mirror: If a
parallel beam of light is incident on a concave mirror, the mirror focuses the
beam to a point. This fact enables us to use it as a doctor's head mirror to
concentrate a light beam on a small area of the body part, to be examined. For
this, a parallel beam of light is made to fall on a concave mirror attached to
the band tied at the fore-head of doctor = examining the body part. The
concave mirror then focuses the beam on the body part.

Uses of a convex mirror

(1) As a reflector in street lamps: A convex polished metallic surface is used in
street lamps as a reflector so as to diverge light over a larger area.
(2) As a rear-view mirror: A convex mirror diverges the incident light beam
and always forms a virtual, small and erect image behind the mirror between
its pole and focus. This fact
enables the driver to use it as a
rear-view mirror in vehicles to
see all the traffic approaching
from behind. Although a plane
mirror can also be used for the
purpose, but a convex mirror
provides a much wider field of
view as compared to a plane
mirror of the same size.