REFRACTION OF LIGHT AT PLANE SURFACES

1. When a ray of light travels from denser medium to rarer medium,

a) it bends towards the normal
b) it bends away from the normal
c) it does not undergo any deviation
d) speed of light does not change

2. When a ray of light travels from optically rarer medium to optically denser medium,
a) its speed increases
b) its direction does not change
c) its speed decreases
d) its speed does not change

3. Refraction is the phenomenon in which

a) light bounces back into the same medium when incident on a surface
b) bending of light takes place in the same medium
c) speed of light changes when it travels from one medium to another
d) there no change in direction of the light when it travels from one medium to
another

4. When a ray of light moves from one medium to another at normal incidence
a) its speed remains the same
b) its speed changes but the direction remains the same
c) its speed remains the same but the direction changes
d) its direction changes

5. When a ray of light travels from rarer medium to denser medium its wavelength
a) does not change
b) increases
c) decreases
d) Increases then decreases

6. When a ray of light travels from denser medium to rarer medium its frequency
a) Increases
b) Decreases
c) Remains constant
d) Increases then decreases
7. When a ray of light undergoes refraction through a prism placed in the position of
minimum deviation
a) Angle of incidence is equal to angle of emergence
b) Refracted ray is parallel to the base of the prism
c) Refracted ray is parallel to incident ray
d) There is no change in the direction of the ray of light
8. The incident ray undergoes refraction when it passes through a glass slab & a prism. How
are the emergent rays different in each of these cases?
a) The emergent rays in both the cases are parallel to the incident ray.
b) The emergent ray in a glass slab is parallel to the direction of incident ray,
whereas in a prism this does not happen.
c) The emergent ray in a prism is parallel to the direction of incident ray, whereas
in a glass slab this does not happen.

9. The deviation produced by a prism

a) Does not depend on the angle of incidence
b) Does not depend on the wavelength of the light incident
c) Depends on the material of the prism
d) Depends on frequency

10. When an object is placed in air and viewed (obliquely) by an observer in water, it
a) appears to be at a greater height than the actual position
b) appears to be at a lower height than the actual position
c) appears to be at the same position
d) None of the above

11. A stick partially immersed in water appears to be bent for an observer in air. This is due
to
a) Reflection
b) Scattering
c) Dispersion
d) Refraction

12. Total internal reflection of light occurs when

a) Light travels from rarer medium to denser medium at an angle greater than
critical angle
b) Light travels from denser medium to rarer medium at an angle equal to critical
angle
c) Light travels from denser medium to rarer medium at an angle greater than
critical angle
 d) Light travels from denser medium to rarer medium at an angle less than critical
angle

13. The refractive index of water with respect to air is 1.33 and that of diamond with respect
to air is 2.41. Which of the following statements is true?
a) Water has a greater critical angle than diamond
b) Water has a lower critical angle than diamond
c) Both water & diamond have the same critical angles
d) Critical angle does not depend on refractive index

4
If the refractive index of water with respect to air and the refractive index of glass
3
3
with respect to air is then,
2
14. The refractive index of air with respect to water is
a) 1
3
b)
4
2
c)
4
1
d)
4
15. The refractive index of water with respect to glass is
9
a)
8
b) 2
1
c)
2
8
d)
9

16. The refractive index of quartz is 1.54. The speed of light in quartz is
a) 3 ×108 m s−1
b) 2 ×108 m s−1
c) 1.94 ×10 8 m s−1
d) 2.25 ×108 m s−1

17. When a ray of light travels from denser medium to rarer medium along the normal
a) The angle of deviation is zero
b) The refracted ray bends away from the normal
c) Refraction takes place
 d) The refracted ray bends towards the normal

18. Name the colour of white light which is deviated the most on passing through a prism.
a) Yellow
b) Red
c) Green
d) Violet

A ray of light passes through a right-angled isosceles prism as shown: (18-19)

19. What is the angle through which the incident ray deviates and emerges out of the prism?
a) 180⁰
b) 90⁰
c) Less than 60⁰
d) 45⁰
20. Name the instrument where this action of prism is put into use.
a) Binocular
b) Slide projector
c) Periscope
d) Camera

The following diagram shows a 60 ⁰,30⁰,90 ⁰ glass prism of critical angle 42⁰.
Answer the following questions (20-22)
21. What is the angle of incidence at surface YZ?
a) 90⁰
b) 0⁰
c) 45⁰
d) 60⁰
22. What is the angle of incidence at surface XZ?
a) 90⁰
b) 60⁰
c) 30⁰
d) 0⁰
23. The phenomenon at the surface XZ is
a) Total internal reflection
b) Reflection
c) Refraction
d) Partial reflection

24. What should be the angle of incidence for a ray of light which suffers minimum deviation
of 38 degree through an equilateral prism?
a) 48⁰
b) 98⁰
c) 49⁰
d) 50⁰
25. A water pond appears to be 3m deep. If the refractive index of water is 4/3, find the
actual depth of the pond.
a) 5 m
b) 2 m
c) 2.25 m
d) 4 m

26. When the angle of incidence in denser medium is equal to critical angle, the angle of
refraction in the rarer medium is
a) 0⁰
b) 180⁰
 c) 90⁰
d) 45⁰

27. Critical angle for a given pair of media is the least for
a) Red colour
b) Yellow colour
c) Blue colour
d) Green colour

28. A total reflecting equilateral prism can be used to deviate a ray of light through
a) 60⁰
b) 90⁰
c) 30⁰
d) Less than 60⁰

29. The relation between critical angle and refractive medium of glass is
a) μ=sinC
b) μ=cos C
c) μ=cosec C
d) μ=sec C

30. Looking at the diagram showing total internal reflection, what conclusion can you draw?

I. no light is allowed to enter or leave a medium.

II. the light travels from a rarer to a denser medium at an angle of incidence greater than the
critical angle
III. the light travels from a denser to a rarer medium at an angle of incidence greater than the
critical angle
 IV. no light is refracted or transmitted or absorbed by the surface of separation

Choose the correct options.

(a) (i) and (ii)
(b) (ii) and (iii)
(c) (iii) and (iv)
(d) (ii) and (iv)

31. Diamonds sparkle more than the glass because they have
(a) smaller critical angle than the glass
(b) larger critical angle than the glass
(c) critical angle does not play any role
(d) None of these

32. The refractive index of water with respect to air is 4/3. What is the refractive index of air with
respect to water
(a) 0.75
(b) 0.65
(c) 0.45
(d) None of these

33. Given figure represent three cases of a ray passing through a prism of refractive angle A. The case
corresponding to minimum deviation is

(a) (i)
(b) (ii)
(c) (iii)
(d) None of these

34. The refractive index of water is 4/3. It means that

(a) light travels in water 4/3 times faster than in air.
 (b) light travels in water 3/4 times slower than in air.
(c) light travels in air and in water with the same speed.
(d) none of these

35. The critical angle for glass-air surface is

(a) 24°
(b) 48°
(c) 45°
(d) 42°

36. A right-angled isosceles prism is used for

(a) to deviate a ray of light through 90°,
(b) to deviate a ray of light through 180°, and
(c) to erect the inverted image without producing deviation in its path.
(d) All of the above

37. In total internal reflection

(a) 100% of light is reflected
(b) 75% of light is reflected
(c) 25% of light is reflected
(d) 10% of light is reflected

38. Which prism is used to deviate a light ray through an angle less than 60°

(a) 60° , 60° and 60°

(b) 30° , 90° and 60°
(c) 90° , 45° and 45°
(d) 90° , 40° and 50°

39. The critical angle for a material X is 45°. The total internal reflection will take place, if the angle of
incidence in the denser medium is
(a) less than 45°
(b) 90°
(c) more than 45° but not 90°
(d) less than 45° but not zero degree

40. Which of the following statements is/are not true about the lateral displacement?
(a) Lateral displacement is directly proportional to the thickness and refractive index of the
glass slab.
(b) Lateral displacement is directly proportional to the incident angle.
(c) Lateral displacement is inversely proportional to the incident angle.
(d) Lateral displacement is inversely proportional to the wavelength of the incident angle
Answers
1. b
2. c
3. c
4. b
5. c
6. c
7. a
8. b
9. c
10. a
11. d
12. c
13. a
14. b
15. d
16. c
17. a
18. d
19. b
20. c
21. b
22. c
23. c
24. c
25. d
26. c
27. c
28. a
29. c
30. c
31. a
32. a
33. c
34. b
35. d
36. d
37. a
38. b
39. c
40. c