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CLASS: X
SECTION: ALL SECTIONS
SUBJECT: SCIENCE (Physics)
SESSION: 2023-24

Chapter-9 Light – Reflection and Refraction

ASSIGNMENT-4

NOTE: Refer to Science NCERT Book and Page-3 & 4 of Notes to answer the following questions. Paste the
assignment and attempt in your Physics Register.

Q1. Refractive index of water with respect to air is 1.33 and that of diamond is 2.42.
(i) In which medium does the light move faster, water or diamond?
(ii) What is the refractive index of diamond with respect to water? (SQP 2020-21)

Q2. Is the angle of refraction greater than or less than the angle of incidence, when a ray of light passes
from air into glass?

Q3. Light enters from air to diamond which has refractive index of 2.42. Calculate the speed of light in
diamond, if speed of light in air is 3 x 108 m/s.

Q4. For the same angle of incidence in media P, Q and R, the angles of refraction are 45°, 35° and 15°
respectively. In which medium will the velocity of light be minimum? Give reason.

Q5. Define Snell’s law of refraction. A ray of light is incident on a glass slab at an angle of incidence of 60⁰. If
the angle of refraction be 32.7⁰, calculate the refractive index of glass. (Given: sin 60⁰ = 0.866 and sin 32.7⁰=
0.540)

Q6. Define absolute refractive index. Absolute refractive indices of medium A and medium B are n a and nb
respectively, what is the refractive index of medium B with respect to medium A? How does the velocity of
light vary with change in the optical density of the media?

Q7. Light enters from air to water having refractive index 4/3. Find the speed of light in water. The speed of
light in vacuum is 3 x 108 m/s.

Q8. A ray of light is incident obliquely on a glass slab. Draw a ray diagram showing the path of the light ray.
Clearly, mark angle of incidence, angle of refraction, angle of emergence and lateral displacement of the ray.
Give a formula to find refractive index of glass slab in terms of angle of incidence and angle of refraction.

Q9. a) Water has a refractive index of 1.33 and alcohol has a refractive index of 1.36. Which of the two media
optically denser? Give reason for your answer. Draw a ray diagram to show the path of a ray of light passing
obliquely from water to alcohol.
(b) The absolute refractive index of diamond is 2.42 and the absolute refractive index of glass is 1.50. Find
the refractive index of diamond with respect to glass.

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Q10. The following table gives the refractive indices of a few media:

Medium A B C D E

Refractive index 1.33 1.52 1.54 1.71 2.42

Use this table to answer the following questions:

(i) In which of these media is the speed of light (i) maximum, and (ii) minimum? Why?
(ii) Which medium has maximum optical density?
(iii) Show how a ray bends when it goes from medium A to medium C.

Q11. The ability of a medium to refract light is expressed in terms of its optical density. Optical density has a
definite connotation. It is not the same as mass density. On comparing two media, the one with the large
refractive index is optically denser medium than the other. The other medium with a lower refractive index
is optically rarer. Also, the speed of light through a given medium is inversely proportional to its optical
density. (CBSE 2022-23)

(i) Determine the speed of light in diamond if the refractive index of diamond with respect to vacuum is 2.42.
Speed of light in vacuum is 3 x 108 m/s.

(ii) Refractive indices of glass, water and carbon disulphide are 1.5, 1.33 and 1.62 respectively. If a ray of light
is incident in these media at the same angle (say θ), then write the increasing order of the angle of refraction
in these media.

(iii) The speed of light in glass is 2 x 108 m/s and in water is 2.25 x 108 m/s.
(a) Which one of the two is optically denser and why?
(b) A ray of light is incident normally at the water-glass interface when it enters a thick glass
container filled with water. What will happen to the path of the ray after entering the glass?
Give reason.

(iv) The absolute refractive indices of water and glass are 4/3 and 3/2 respectively. If the speed of light in
glass is 2 x 108 m/s, find the speed of light in (i) vacuum and (ii) water.

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