Class Notes

Light, Shadows and Reflections

Grade 06
 Topics to be Covered

1 Luminous and
Non-luminous Objects

2 Transparent, Translucent
and Opaque Objects

Rectilinear Propagation of
3
Light

4 Pinhole Camera
4.1 Image Properties
4.2 Pinhole Camera in Nature

5 Shadow

6 Reflection of Light
 Mind Map

Transparent
Luminous

Types
Translucent
of Objects

Non-luminous
Opaque

Reflection
Light of Light

Rectilinear
Propagation of
Light

Pinhole camera Shadow

 1. Luminous and Non-luminous
Objects

Light enables vision.

• Objects which emit light of their own are

known as luminous objects.

The Sun Candle

flame

• Objects which do not emit light of their own

are known as non-luminous objects.

Glass Curtain
1. Luminous and Non-luminous
Objects

1.1 Bioluminescence

• Living creatures which can emit light of their

own are said to be bioluminescent. In other
words, bioluminescence refers to the emission
of light by living organisms.

• Fireflies, jelly fish and angler fish are

bioluminescent creatures.

Fireflies

Jelly fish Angler fish

 2. Transparent, Translucent and
Opaque Objects

• Objects that completely allow

light to pass through them are
known as transparent objects.

• Examples: glass, air, etc.

Glass slab

• Objects that partially allow light

to pass through them are known
as translucent objects.

• Examples: sunglasses, tracing

paper, etc. Sunglasses

• Objects that do not allow light to

pass through them are known as
opaque objects.

• Examples: wooden cupboard,

rock, etc. Cupboard
 3. Rectilinear Propagation of
Light

• Light always travel in a straight line in a medium.

This is known as rectilinear propagation of light.

• If we look at a candle flame through a bent tube

and a straight tube, we will find that the flame is
visible only through the straight tube. This is
because light travels in straight lines in a medium
and cannot bend.
 4.4.Pinhole
PinholeCamera
Camera

Translucent screen

Pinhole Inverted image

Object Cardboard
box

It is the simplest type of camera which doesn’t use a lens

to form the image of an object. It can easily be
constructed using a cardboard box, and a translucent
sheet.

❑ A small hole is made on one side of a cardboard

box, which acts as a pinhole. The hole should be
small to obtain a sharp image.

❑ The box is painted black from the inside to avoid

any reflection of light entering through the pinhole.

❑ A translucent screen is used to obtain the image.

❑ The image can be seen from the other open end of

the box. The open end should be covered with a
black cloth so that no other external light can enter
the box.
 2. Rectilinear
4.4.Pinhole
Propagation
PinholeCamera
Camera of
Light
4.1 Image Properties

The principle behind formation of image by a pinhole

camera is rectilinear propagation of light. No image
would have been obtained if light didn’t travel in
straight lines in a medium.

The image formed by a pinhole camera is always

❑ inverted
❑ same colour as the object
❑ smaller, larger or same size as the object

4.2 Pinhole Camera in Nature

Gaps in between the thick leaves of a tree act as

pinholes for the light rays from the Sun or the Moon.
This forms circular patches on the ground which are
basically image of the Sun or the Moon.
 2. Rectilinear
4. PinholePropagation
Camera of
5. Shadow
Light

• Shadow is the dark patch formed behind an opaque

body when it is placed in the path of light. Shadows
are formed because light travels in straight lines and
cannot bend when obstructed by an opaque object.
Screen
Object

Light
source

Shadow

• Properties of a shadow:

❑ Shadow can only be obtained on a screen.

❑ It is always black in colour.

❑ Size of a shadow can vary depending upon the

positions of the object, the light source and the
screen.

❑ Shadows give us some information about

shapes of objects. Sometimes, shadows can
also mislead us about the shape of the object.
 6. Reflection of Light

• The phenomenon of bouncing back of light rays

after striking an object is known as the reflection of
light.

Incident light Reflected light

Reflecting surface

• Non-luminous objects can be seen because of

reflection of light. Light rays coming from a
luminous object fall on a non-luminous object, get
reflected and finally reach our eyes to make vision
possible.
 Important Questions

3
Marks
Question 1:
Classify the objects or materials given below as
opaque, transparent or translucent, and luminous or
non-luminous:
Mirror, a sheet of cellophane, air, water, a sheet of
polythene, a lighted fluorescent tube.

Solution:
Transparent objects: They allow light to pass through
them completely.
Translucent objects: They allow light to partially pass
through them.
Opaque objects: They do not allow light to pass through
them at all.

Based on these definitions,

• a sheet of cellophane, air and water are transparent.
• A sheet of polythene is translucent.
• A mirror and a lighted fluorescent tube are opaque.
[1.5 Marks]

Luminous objects: They emit their own light

Non-luminous objects: They do not emit their own light.
Based on these definitions,
• a lighted fluorescent tube is luminous
• Mirror, a sheet of cellophane, air, water, a sheet of
polythene are non-luminous.
[1.5 Marks]
 Important Questions

2
Marks
Question 2:
Observe the picture given in the figure. Even when a
sheet of some material is placed at position ‘P’, still a
bright patch of light is obtained on the screen. What is
the type of material of this sheet?
Screen

Mirror

Source of light

Solution:

If the bright patch of light is still visible on the screen,

this means that a transparent material has been
placed at point P. This is because transparent
materials allow light to completely pass through
them. [2 Marks]
 Important Questions

3
Marks
Question 3:
Draw a diagram to show image formation by a pinhole
camers. Why is the hole of a pinhole camera kept
small?

Solution:

Translucent screen

Pinhole Inverted
Object image
Cardboard
box

[2 Marks]
A pinhole camera is used to obtain the image of an
object through a small opening.
When the size of the hole in a pinhole camera is made
bigger, light is spread over a larger area and the
image becomes blurry.
[1 Mark]
 Important Questions

2
Marks
Question 4:
Why can we not see the inverted image of the sun
through a pinhole camera?

Solution:
The image formed by a pinhole camera is always
inverted.
[1 Mark]
But we cannot see the image of the sun as inverted
because it is spherical in shape and highly symmetric.
Hence, although an inverted image of the sun is
formed, it appears erect.
[1 Mark]
 Important Questions

3
Marks
Question 5:
Can you think of creating a shape that would give a
circular shadow if held in one way and a rectangular
shadow if held in another way?

Solution:
A cylinder can form a circular as well as a rectangular
shadow on the screen depending on its orientation.
[1 Mark]

Screen

Circular shadow

Cylinder

Screen

Rectangular shadow

[2 Marks]
 Important Questions

2
Marks
Question 6:
A student covered a torch with a blue cellophane sheet
to obtain blue light. Using the blue light, the student
obtains the shadow of an opaque object. What will be
the colour of the shadow obtained?

Solution:
Shadow is the dark patch formed by an opaque object
when it obstructs light.
[0.5 Marks]
The colour of the shadow is always black. It does not
depend on the colour of the object and colour of the
light source. So, the student will obtain a black shadow.

[1.5 Marks]
 Important Questions

3
Marks
Question 7:
What do you understand by the reflection of light? How
does reflection help us see non-luminous objects?

Solution:
Reflection of light is the phenomenon of bouncing back
of light after falling on a surface.
When light rays hit a surface such as a mirror or a
cardboard, they bounce back to the same medium like
a ball thrown against a wall.
[1 Marks]

We can see an object only when light from the object

falls on our eye. Non-luminous objects do not emit light
of their own. It’s because of reflection that we can see
them. Light from some luminous object falls on the
non-luminous object and is reflected to our eyes.
[2 Marks]
 Important Questions

2
Marks
Question 8:
In a completely dark room, if you hold up a mirror in
front of you, will you see a reflection of yourself in the
mirror? Give reason.

Solution:

• No, we’ll not see a reflection in the mirror in a

completely dark room.
[1 Mark]

• This is because there is no source of light in the dark

room. If there are no light rays, there will be no
reflection.
[1 Mark]