: 3.

2 : [A] – REFLECTION OF LIGHT :

: PIONEER ACADEMY :
: 10 : PHYSICS

 LIGHT WAVES (PROPERTIES) : -

 Light waves are transverse electromagnetic waves.
 They do not require material medium for their propagation.
 They can pass even through the vacuum.
 Wavelength of light is very short, of about 5x10 -7 m.
 The frequency of light is very high.
 It obeys the wave equation, v = f λ.
 The frequency is inversely proportional to the wavelength.
 It travels in straight line.
 It can produce shadows and inverted images.
 The speed of light in air or vacuum is 3x108 m/s (3x105 km/s)
 The speed of glass is 2x108 m/s (3x105 km/s)
 The speed of light in one medium is the same.
 The speed of light changes when it enters from one medium to the another.
 The speed of light decreases when it passes from rarer medium/optically less dense medium (air) into the
denser medium (glass or water) and increases when it pass from denser to a rarer medium.
(1) Reflection of Light Waves : -
 When light rays fall on a plane mirror or a plane shiny surface, it is
reflected.
 It obeys the laws of reflection.
 During the reflection of light, wavelength, frequency, speed and amplitude
remains the same only direction of light changes.
Regular Reflection : -
 When a parallel beam of light falls on a plane mirror, it is reflected as a
parallel beam.
 This type of reflection is called a regular reflection.
 It obeys the laws of reflection (i = r).
Irregular Reflection : -
 When a parallel beam of light falls on a rough surface it is reflected in all
directions.
 This reflection is called irregular or diffuse reflection.
 It does not obey the laws of reflection (angle of incident is not equal to the
angle of reflection).
Image Formed In A Plane Mirror : -
Real Image : -
 A real image is one which can be obtained on a screen and is formed by rays which actually pass
through it.
Virtual Image : -
 A virtual image is one which cannot be obtained on a screen and is obtained by rays which seems to
come from object but do not pass through it.
 A virtual image is obtained by extending the incident and reflected rays behind the mirror.
 Image formed by a plane mirror is always a virtual image.
Properties of Image Formed In a Plane Mirror : -
 Image is virtual.
 Image is of same size as the object.
 It is laterally inverted. [left hand – right hand]
 It as far behind the mirror as the object is in front of the mirror.
 PIONEER ACADEMY : PHYSICS : 10 : 2

The Ripple Tank : -

 The behavior of water waves can be studied in a ripple tank.
 It consist of a transparent tray containing water, having a light source above and a white
screen below to receive the wave image.
 Pulses of ripple are obtained by dipping a finger in the water for circular ones and a ruler
for straight ones.
 Continuous ripples are generated by an electric motor and a bar for straight ripples or circular
ripples by a small ball fitted to it.
