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SHAKTHI PUBLIC SCHOOL

SESSION: 2021-2022
CLASS: X
PHYSICS
LIGHT-REFLECTION & REFRACTION

I) Very short answer questions

1. State laws of reflection of light. List four characteristics of the image

formed by a plane mirror.
Ans: Laws of Reflection:
1) The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. ( i = r)
2) The incident angle, reflected angle and normal all lie in a same
plane.
Characteristics of images formed by plane MIRROR:
1) The image is of the same size as the object, 2) The image is virtual,
3) The image is laterally inverted, 4) The distance between the image
and the mirror is equal to the distance between the object and the
mirror
2. “The refractive index of diamond is 2.42”. What is the meaning of this
statement in relation to speed of light?

3. Which kind of mirrors are used in the headlights of a motor-car and

why?
Ans: Concave mirror, to get the parallel beam of light.
4. Why does a ray of light bend when it travels from one medium into
another?
Ans: Due to change in velocity in the medium and to reduce the time
taken to travel the same
5. Explain why a ray of light passing through the centre of curvature of a
concave mirror, gets reflected along the same path.
Ans: The ray passing through the centre of curvature incident to the
mirror along its normal so ∠i= ∠r = 0. Therefore, the ray retraces its
path.
6. The outer surface of a hollow sphere of aluminium of radius 50 cm is to
be used as a mirror. What will be the focal length of this mirror? Which
type of spherical mirror will it provide?
Ans: f = R/2 = 25 cm. It will form a convex mirror.
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7. A ray of light enters a rectangular glass slab of refractive index 1.5. It is

found that the ray emerges from the opposite face of the slab without
being displaced. If its speed in air is 3 x 10^8 ms-1 then what is its
speed in glass?

8. What is the magnification of the images formed by plane mirrors and

why?
Ans: Magnification, m = 1 because size of image is equal to size of
object in case of a plane mirror.

II) Answer the following questions in about 40 to 50 words.

1. State the type of mirror preferred as (i) rear view mirror in vehicles,
(shaving mirror. Justify your answer giving two reasons in each case.
Ans: (i) Convex mirror (ii) Concave mirror
Justification:
(i) Convex mirror is used as a rear view mirror because:
(a) it gives a wider field of view as it is curved outwards and
(b) it produces erect and diminished image of the traffic behind the
driver of the vehicle.
(ii) Concave mirror is used as a shaving mirror to see a large size
image of the face. When the object lies in between pole and principal
focus of a concave mirror, it forms a virtual, erect and enlarged image
behind it.
2. A concave mirror produces three times magnified (enlarged) real
image of an object placed at 10 cm in front of it. Where is the image
located?
Ans: Magnification produced by a spherical mirror:
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Object distance (u) = – 10 cm

v = 3 × (- 10) = – 30 cm
Therefore, the negative sign indicates that an inverted image is formed
in front of the given concave mirror at a distance of 30 cm.
3. A ray of light travelling in air enters obliquely into water. Does the
light ray bends towards the normal or away from the normal? Why?
Ans: The light ray bends towards the normal. When a light ray enters
from an optically rarer medium (which has low refractive index) to an
optically denser medium (which has a high refractive index), its speed
slows down and bends towards the normal. As water is optically
denser than air, a ray of light entering from air into water will bend
towards the normal.
4. Define 1 dioptre of power of a lens. A convex lens forms a real and
inverted image of a needle at a distance of 50 cm from it. Where is the
needle placed in front of the convex lens if the image is equal to the
size of the object? Also, find the power of the lens.
Ans: Dioptre is the SI unit of power of lens is denoted by the letter D. 1
dioptre can be defined as the power of a lens of focal length 1 metre.
Ans: The position of the image should be at 2F since the image is the
real and same size.
It is given that the image of the needle is formed at a distance of 50 cm
from the convex lens. Therefore, the needle is placed in front of the
lens at a distance of 50 cm.
Object distance (u) = – 50 cm
Image distance, (v) = 50 cm
Focal length = f
According to the lens formula,

5. An object 5 cm in length is held 25 cm away from a converging lens of

focal length 10 cm. Draw the ray diagram and find the position, size
and the nature of the image formed.
Ans: Height of the Object, h0 = 5 cm
Distance of the object from converging lens, u = -25 cm
Focal length of a converging lens, f = 10 cm
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Using lens formula,

Thus, the image is inverted and formed at a distance of 16.7 cm behind

the lens and measures 3.3 cm. The ray diagram is shown below.

6. A concave lens of focal length 15 cm forms an image 10 cm from the

lens. How far is the object placed from the lens? Draw the ray diagram.
Ans: Focal length of concave lens (OF1), f = – 15 cm
Image distance, v= – 10 cm
According to the lens formula,

The negative value of u indicates that the object is placed 30 cm in

front of the lens. This is shown in the following ray diagram.
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III) Answer the following questions in 80 words.

1. (a) What is meant by ‘power of a lens’?
(b) State and define the S.I. unit of power of a lens.
(c) A convex lens of focal length 25 cm and a concave lens of focal
length 10 cm are placed in close contact with each other. Calculate the
lens power of this combination.
Ans: (a) The power of a lens is a measure of the degree of convergence
or divergence of light rays falling on it.
(b) The SI unit of the power of a lens is dioptre. One dioptre is the
power of a lens whose focal length is 1 metre.
(c) Focal length of the convex lens:
f1 = +25 cm = + m = +0.25 m
Focal length of the concave lens:
f2 = -10 cm = – m = -0.10 m
P1 = = +4D
P2 = = -10D
Power of combination, P = P1 + P2 = 4 + (-10) = -6D

2. State Snell's law of refraction of light. Express it mathematically. Write

the relationship between absolute refractive index of a medium and
speed of light in vacuum.
Ans. Snell’s law: The ratio of sine of angle of incidence (i.e. sin i) to
the sine of angle of refraction (i.e. sin r) is always constant for the
light of given colour and for the given pair of media.
Mathematically, sin i/ sin r = constant = n21
The constant n21 is called refractive index of the second medium
with respect to the first medium.
Absolute refractive index of the medium is given by
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3. List the sign conventions for reflection of light by spherical mirrors.

Draw a diagram and apply these conventions in the determination of
focal length of a spherical mirror which forms a three times magnified
real image of an object placed 16 cm in front of it.
Ans: Sign conventions for reflection of light by spherical mirror are:

1. The object is always placed to the left of the mirror.

2. All the distances parallel to the principal axis are always measured
from the pole of the spherical mirror.
3. All the distances measured along the direction of incident light
(along +ve x-axis), are considered to be positive.
4. Those distances measured opposite to the direction of incidence
light (i.e. along -ve x-axis), are taken as negative.
5. The distances measured in upward direction, i.e. perpendicular to
and above the principal axis (along +ve y-axis), are taken as
positive.
6. The distances measured in the downward direction, (along -ve y-
axis), i.e. perpendicular to and below the principal axis are taken
as negative.

So, focal length of spherical mirror is 12 cm. Negative sign of focal length
indicates that mirror is concave in nature.