Think and Answer

Polished surfaces retflect

more light compared
A mirror can reflect almost
to rough surfaces. Why does a mirror shine?
on it. Therefore, 1.
the entire amount of light falling
or surface that can 2. What is meant by the term
a mirror shines. Any object reflection' in relation to light?
reflect most of the light falling on it
is a shiny
object or surface.

IMAGES
can be either real or virtual
an object. An image
An image is an optical representation of
screen are called
real images. The images that
The images that can be formed on a The light rays falling in a mirror
cannot be formed on a screen are called virtual images.
after reflection. I he converging
after reflection, or diverge away
can converge at one point form a virtual image.
rays of light form a real image and the diverging rays

Multiple reflections

if you use two

stand in front of a mirror, only one image
is formed. What happens
When we
rooms have more than one
in a shop? Many trial
mirrors? Have you ever been to a trial room
two mirrors.
mirror such that you are standing between
two mirrors will form two.
But the number of
Since one mirror forms one image, you will say As you decrease the
is called multiple reflections.
images formed will be many. This phenomenon formed will increase.
angle between the mirrors, the number of images

(a)
Image Formed by a Plane Mirror
Look at the image of the letter D formed by a
plane mirror. It looks as if the left and right
sides
D
have reversed their positions. This property of
reversal of the sides of an image formed bya (b) H-

plane mirror is called lateral inversion. You might

have observed that the word AMBULANCE on an
ambulance vehicle is written in reverse. This is
because when the reversed word AMBULANCE
DMAARMA
gets reflected in the rear-view mirror of a vehicle
moving ahead of the ambulance, the driver can
read the word correctly (AMBULANCE) and give
way to it. Fig. 15.1: Lateral inversion

Characteristics of the image formed by a plane mirror

(a) The image formed by a plane mirror is always virtual and erect.
(b) The image undergoes lateral inversion.
(c) The size of the image formed by a plane mirror is the same as that of the object.
(d) The distance of the object from the mirror is equal to the distance of the image from
the mirror (that is, image distance = object distance).

202
 Real and Virtual Images

When you See a mirror, you can see your image in the mirror.
cannot be projected on a screen. In a movie theatre, the This image is virtual and
aScreen and an image is formed on the light froma projector falls on
screen, which is real.
An image formed by a converging beam of
actually meet at a point to form the image. light
is called a real image. Here, the
An image formed
light rays
called a virtual image. Here, the light rays do not meet at a by but a diverging beam of light is
from a point where the virtual image is formed. point they appear to diverge
Table 15.1: Characteristics of real and
virtual images
Real Image
Virtual Image
It is produced by a converging beam of light. It is produced by a diverging beam of light.
It can be caught on a screen. It cannot be caught on a screen.
It is always inverted. It is always erect.

SPHERICAL MIRRORS * * * * a * ** 5* * * *

Have you ever observed reflecting surfaces which are not plane?
Most of the kitchen utensilssuch steel vessels
as and
spoons are
curved reflecting surfaces. Take a polished steel spoon and look
at both the surfaces. You will see an upright image at the back of
the spoon and an inverted image in the hollow part of the spoon.
These curved reflecting surfaces form spherical mirrors. Fig. 15.2: Images formed
on two sides of a spoon
Spherical mirrors are of two kinds:
concave and convex. it,
Aconcave mirror is a spherical mirror
whose reflecting surface is on the inner Refiecting g
side. It is also known as a converging surface

mirror, as a parallel beam of light

afterreflection froma concave mirror SRver
Converges at a point. caating
Aconvex mirror is a spherical Fig. 15.3: Representations of concave mirror

mirror whose reflecting surtace

IS on the outer side. It is also
Known as a diverging mirror,
as a parallel beam of light after Raiecing
reflection from a convex mirror Suface
diverges.
Salver
coaling
mirror
Fig. 15.4: Representations of convex
203
Uses ofspherical mirrors
a) Concave mirrors of large focal lengths are used as shaving mirrors.
h) Concave mirrors are used as reflectors in headlights of vehicles, search lights, etc.
cConcaveand convex mirrors are used in reflection telescopes. Concave mirrors are
used in devices such as solar cookers.
(d) Convex mirrors are used in buses to help the driver see the whole bus.
are
e) Convex mirrors are used as
rear view mirrors of vehicles.
Convex mirrors
range of vision.
used as field view mirrors in
supermarkets as they cover a wider

LENSES

Alens is a transparent material such as

olass, with two surfaces out of which at
least one is a spherical surface.
There are two types of lenses: convex

lens and Concave lens.

Convex lenses are also called converging

Double covex Plano corvex Concavo convex
lenses since they converge a given
Fig. 15.5: Three types of convex lenses
parallel beam of light passing through
them. They are thicker at the middle
and thinner at the edges.
Concave lenses are also called diverging
lenses since they diverge a parallel
beam of light passing through them.
They are thinner at the middle and Double concave Plana concave Convexo concave
thicker at the edgesS. of lenses
Fig. 15.6: Three types concave

A lens has two spherical surfaces

each side of the lens. A straight line passing
hence it has two centres of curvature, one on
the lens is called the principal axis of the lens.
through the two centres of curvature of
The point at the centre of a lens such thata light ray
passing through it emerges from the
lens undeviated from its direction is
called the optical centre (O).

(b)
(a)
and (b) concave lenses
centres of (a) convex
Fig. 15.7: Optical

205
 ** *****
a convex
beam of light passing through Pindpal foous
A parallel This point is
at a single point.
lens converges convex lens.
focus (F) of the
called the principal focus and
between the principal
The distance lens is called the
centre of the convex
the optical
lens.
focal length of the

When a beam of light

parallel to the principal
a concave lens, it appears to (a) Focal length
axis passes through incident
from a point on the side of the
diverge
from where it appears to diverge
is
rays. This point Principal focus
the concave lens.
called the principal focus (F) of
the principal focus and the
The distance between
concave lens is called focal
optical centre of the
length of the lens.
lenses:
Images formed by convex and
concave

a convex lens
A beam of light after passing through
of the object will be
converges at a point. The image
formed at the position of convergence of the light
the image will be
Focal
rays. If the object is at a far distance, lengh
(b)
formed at the principal focus of the lens. A convex lens
forms diminished ormagnified images depending on Fig. 15.8: Principal focus and focal length
the position of the object from the lens. A concave lens of (a) convex and (6) concave lenses
cannot produce a real image as the light rays passing
through it do not converge. It forms only a virtuai, diminished and erect image.

ivity
Aim: To denmonstrate the formation of an image by a convex lens and a concave lens
Materials required: Convex lens, concave lens, lens stand, white sereen, candle and candle stand
Procedure: Light the candle and fix it on the candle stand. Place the white sereen a little away
(about 60 cm) from the candle. Keep the convex lens between the candle and the screen. Adjust the
position of the lens so that a clear image of the candle flame is formed on the screen.
1. Keep the lens a little close to the candle and adjust the
position of the screen. What is the nature of the image?
2. Keep the lens a litle away from the candle and adjust the
position of the screen. What is the nature of the image?
3. Move the lens very close to the candle and adjust the
position of the screen. Are you able to see the image on
the screen? See the image through the lens. What type of Convex lens Screen

image is formed? Candle

Now, repeat the same using the concave lens. Do you see any image formed on the screen? ObSer
the candle through the lens by placing the lens (a) close to the candle and (b) away from the canu
What type of image is formed in each case?

206
 Observation:

Lens Position ofthe Candle Nature of the Image

Magnified/
Real/Virtual Inverted/ Erect
Diminished

Close to the lens Real Inverted Magnifed

Convex
Very close to the lens Virtual Erect Magnified
lens
Away from the lens Diminished
Real Inverted

Close to the lens Diminished

Concave Virtual Erect
lens
Away from the lens Virtual Erect Diminished

Ray diagrams of images formed by convex and concave lenses

We can draw ray diagram to represent the image formation by lenses. For convenience,
a

we can consider any two light rays

out of the following three light rays: (a) a ray of light
parallel to the principal axis emerges out through the principal focus, (b) a ray of light

passing through the optical centre goes undeviated and (c) a ray of light passing through
to the principal axis. The ray
the principal focus of the lens after refraction goes parallel
lenses are shown below.
diagrams of the image formed by convex and concave
The symbols used for the ray diagrams are
A'B Image F-Principal focus 0-Optical centre
AB-Object
Areal and diminished image is formed by a convex lens when the object is placed beyond 2F.

B 2F 2F B2F 2F

Fig. 15.9: Convex lens, object beyond 2F

Areal and magnified image is formed by a convex lens when the object is placed between
Fand 2F.

B
2F B 2F

207
between F and 2F
Fig. 15.10: Convex lens, object
 formed by a convey lens whe.

obyect s
same sI70 as the
Areal image
nf he
nlacedal 2

Convex lens obyect at 2F

Fig 15 1
formed on the same side as the object by a conve,
is
A virtual and magnified image
when the object is placed between F and 0

2F 2F

Convex lens, object between F and O

Fig. 15.12:
image is formed by a concave lens when the object s placa
Avirtual,erect and diminishedlens.
at any position in front of the

2F B
2F B

Fig. 15.13: Image formed by concave lens

Table 15.2: Characteristics of the image formed by a convex lens

Position of the Object Real/Virtual Erect/Inverted Magnified/Diminished

Beyond 2F Real Inverted Diminished
Between F and 2F Real Inverted Magnified
At 2F Real Inverted Same size
Between Fand O Virtual Erect Magnified

208
 Table 15.3: Characteristics of the image formed by a concave lens
Position
o f the
Object
Real/Virtual Erect/Inverted Magnified/Diminished
A ta l l
p o s i t i o n s
|Virtual Erect Diminished
and concave lenses
eof Convex
Uses Discuss
Conve lenses are used as magnifying
(a) glasses (simple microscope). What do you understand by the terms real and
ncave lenses are used for virtual images? Give one property of each.
Convex and
correcting defects of the eye.
Concave
used as a peephole. lens is
Try This
i)
concave lenses are used for
Convex and
cameras and projectors.
Examine the lenses in a compound microscope.
Convex and concave lenses are used in Are they convex or concave lenses?
binoculars, telescopes and microscopes.
DISPERSION OF LIGHT
there different
rainbow. A rainbow has different colours. Why are
We have all seen a rainbow?
are these colours formed in the
colours in a rainbow? How
it to sunlight. You can see different colours.
Take a compact disc (CD) and expose
or white light through
a prism. Why are
You can see the colours when you pass sunlight because white
through the prism? It is
these colours formed when white light passed
is
through a prism, it
colours. When a beam of white light is passed
light consists of seven called dispersion of light.
colours. This phenomenon is
splits into its component an optical element
is a triangular prism. This is
A prism used commonly in the laboratory the direction) light.
surfaces which can refract (change
that has flat, polished and shining white screen. you will see a
through the prism on a
If you project the light that passes blue, green,. yellow, orange
the following order: violet, indigo,
sequence of seven colours in
colours obtained is called the spectrum.
and red. The range of
Whitelight
Red R
Orange O
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet VI
Fig. 15.14: Spectrum of white light