Ray optics

1. An object, 2 cm in size is placed at 24 cm in front of a concave mirror of radius of curvature

36 cm. At what distance from the mirror should a screen be placed in order to obtain a sharp
image? Describe the nature and size of the image. If the object is moved closer to the mirror,
how would the screen have to be moved?
1 1 1 1 1 1
Hint: from mirror formula, = + ; f = ½ (36) = 18 cm; By sign convention = −𝑓 −
𝑓 𝑢 𝑣 −𝑣 −𝑢
𝑣 −ℎ𝑖
v = -72cm; m = =  hi = -6 cm image is real and inverted and magnified.
𝑢 ℎ𝑜

If the object is moved closer to the mirror, then the screen will have to be moved away from the
mirror in order to obtain the image.
2. A 4 cm needle is placed 15 cm away from a convex mirror of focal length 21 cm. Find the
position of the image and the magnification. Describe what happens as the needle is moved
farther from the mirror.
1 1 1 1 1 1
Hint: from mirror formula, 𝑓 = 𝑢 + ; By sign convention =𝑓− ;
𝑣 𝑣 −𝑢
𝑣 −ℎ𝑖
v = 8.75 cm; m=- = - 0.583 =  hi = 2.333 cm image is virtual, erect and
𝑢 ℎ𝑜
diminished.
If the needle is moved farther from the mirror, the image will also move away from the mirror, and
the size of the image will reduce gradually.
3. A tank is filled with water to a height of 12.5 cm. The apparent depth of a needle lying at the
bottom of the tank is measured by a microscope to be 9.4 cm. What is the refractive index of
water? If water is replaced by a liquid of refractive index 1.63 up to the same height, by what
distance would the microscope have to be moved to focus on the needle again?
𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ 12.5
Hint: R I = 𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ = = 1.329
9.4
𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ 12.5
In second case, apparent depth = = 1.63 = 7.668 cm
𝑅𝐼

Therefore, to focus the needle again, the microscope should be moved up.
∴ Distance by which the microscope should be moved up = 9.4 − 7.668 = 1.732 cm
4. A prism of refractive index 1.5 produces a minimum deviation of 400. Find the angle of the
prism.
𝑨+𝑫 𝑨 𝑫 𝑨 𝑫
𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( ) 𝒔𝒊𝒏 .𝒄𝒐𝒔 +𝒄𝒐𝒔 .𝒔𝒊𝒏
𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐
Hint: R I, n = 𝑨  n= 𝑨
𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒊𝒏
𝟐 𝟐

𝑫 𝑨 𝑫 𝑫 𝑨 𝑫
n = 𝒄𝒐𝒔
𝟐
+ 𝒄𝒐𝒕 𝟐
. 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟐
 n - 𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝟐
= 𝒄𝒐𝒕 𝟐
. 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟐
𝟒𝟎 𝑨 𝟒𝟎 𝒏 − 𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝟐𝟎 𝟎.𝟓𝟔𝟎𝟑
 n - 𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝟐
= 𝒄𝒐𝒕 𝟐
. 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟐
 = 𝒄𝒐𝒕 𝑨𝟐  𝒄𝒐𝒕
𝑨
𝟐
=
𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟐𝟎 𝟎.𝟑𝟒𝟐𝟎

 A= 31024’
5. An object of size 3.0 cm is placed 14 cm in front of a concave lens of focal length 21 cm.
Describe the image produced by the lens. What happens if the object is moved further away
from the lens?
1 1 1 1 1 1
From lens formula, = − ; By sign convention = −𝑓 + ;
𝑓 𝑣 𝑢 𝑣 −u

v = - 8.4 cm; Hence, the image is formed on the other side of the lens, 8.4 cm away from it. The
negative sign shows that the image is erect and virtual.
If the object is moved further away from the lens, then the virtual image will move toward the focus of the
lens.
6. A ray of light is incident on the face of a prism of refracting angle 60° so that it just suffers
total internal reflection at the other face. The refractive index of the material of the prism is
1.524. Find the angle of incidence.
Hint:

When the light ray just suffers total internal reflection on the other face, the angle of refraction
i2 = 900 and r2 = C [by defn. of critical angle].
Apply Snell’s law to that face. n = 1/sin r2  sin r2 = 1/1.524  sin r2 = 0.6561  r2 = 410
A = r1 + r2  r1 = 600 – 410 = 190
now apply Snell’s law to the incident face. sin i1/sin r1 = n  sin i1 = n. sin 190 = 0.4962
i1 = 29.70
7. A thin converging glass lens made of glass with refractive index 1.5 has a power of + 5.0 D.
When this lens is immersed in a liquid of refractive index n, it acts as a divergent lens of focal
length 100 cm. What must be the value of n?
Hint: From lens makers’ formula, in the case of converging lens,
1 1
= P = (nag -1) (𝑹𝟏 − 𝟏
𝑹𝟐
)  = P = (ng -1) (𝑹𝟏 − 𝟏
𝑹𝟐
) [n2 = ng & n1 = na =1]
𝑓 𝟏 𝑓 𝟏

 (𝑹𝟏 − 𝟏
𝑹𝟐
) = 10
𝟏

in the case of lens acting as a diverging lens in the liquid of refractive index, n, the lens makers’
1 1 𝑛𝑔
formula can be written as, = (nlg-1) (𝑹𝟏 − 𝟏
𝑹𝟐
)  = ( 𝑛 -1) (𝑹𝟏 − 𝟏
𝑹𝟐
)
𝑓𝑙 𝟏 𝑓𝑙 𝟏

1.5
fl = -100 cm = -1 m;  -1 = ( 𝑛 -1) (10)  n = 1.66

8. A coin is at the bottom of a trough containing three immiscible liquids of refractive indices
1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 poured one above the other of heights 30 cm, 16 cm, and 20 cm respectively.
What is the apparent depth at which the coin appears to be when seen from air medium
outside?
𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ 𝑟 𝑟
Hint: Since RI. n= =  a=
𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑛

Here, the equation for total apparent depth is, a’ = a1 +a2 + a3

𝑟𝑙 𝑟2 𝑟3 30 16 20
or a’ = + + = + + = 47.83 cm
𝑛𝑙 𝑛2 𝑛3 1.3 1.4 1.5

9. A biconvex lens has radii of curvature 18 cm and 12 cm each. The refractive index of the
material of the lens is 1.6. What is its focal length? Will the focal length change if the lens is
flipped by the side?
1 1
Hint: From lens makers’ formula, = (n -1) (𝑹𝟏 − 𝟏
𝑹𝟐
)  𝟏
= (1.6 -1) (𝟏𝟖 𝟏
− −𝟏𝟐 )
𝑓 𝟏 𝑓

f =12 cm When the lens is flipped by the side, R1 and R2 interchange.

1 𝟏 𝟏
Hence, = (1.6 -1) (𝟏𝟐 − −𝟏𝟖 )  f =12 cm. Hence, no change in the focal length.
𝑓
10. An object of 4 mm height is placed at a distance of 15 cm from a convex lens of focal length
10 cm. A second lens of focal length 6 cm is placed 48 cm from the first lens. Find (a) the
position of the final image, (b) its nature and (c) its size.
1 1 1 1 1 1
Hint: from the lens formula, = −  In the first case, = −
𝑓 𝑣 𝑢 10 𝑣 −15

 v = 30 cm First lens forms image 30 cm to the right of first lens.

It acts as virtual object for the second lens.
wkt, m = v/u = hi /h0  hi = 8 mm Image is real and inverted.

1 1 1
In the second case, = − [u’ = 48 - 30 = 18 cm]  v’ = 9 cm
6 𝑣′ −18
Final size of the image, hi’/h0’ = v’/u’  hi’ = 4 mm