LIGHT

 NOTES

There are two types of images:
Real image: It is an image which can be obtained on a screen, e.g. the image formed on a cinema screen. When the light rays coming from an object actually meet at a point after reflection from the mirror, then it results in the formation of a real image.

Virtual image: It is an image which cannot be obtained on a screen, e.g. image formed by a plane mirror. When the light rays coming from an object appear to meet after reflection from the mirror, then it results in the formation of virtual image. It is not possible to form a virtual image on the screen because light rays actually do not pass the screen or cannot be received on a screeN

 LATERAL INVERSION- the right side of our body becomes the left side in the image while the left side of our body becomes the right side of the image. It appears as if our image has been ‘reversed side ways’ with respect to your body. The effect of reversing the sides of an object and its image is called lateral inversion.

Dispersion of Light
In the year 1665, Newton discovered by his experiments with glass prisms that white light (like sunlight) consists of a mixture of lights of seven colours. Newton found that if a beam of white light is passed through a glass prism, then the white light splits to form a band of seven colours on a white screen. The band of seven colours formed on a white screen, when a beam of white light is passed through a glass prism, is known as a spectrum of white light. The seven colours of the spectrum are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.

So, dispersion of light is the phenomenon of splitting up of white light into seven colours on passing through a transparent medium like a glass prism. The formation of a spectrum of seven colours indicates that white light is a mixture of seven colours. White light can be sunlight. So, now we can say that sunlight consists of seven colours.

Exercise Questions

1. Fill in the blanks:

(a) An image that cannot be obtained on a screen is called ____________.

(b) Image formed by a convex __________ is always virtual and smaller in size.

(c) An image formed by a __________ mirror is always of the same size as that of the object.

(d) An image which can be obtained on a screen is called a _________ image.

(e) An image formed by a concave ___________ cannot be obtained on a screen.

Solution:

(a) An image that cannot be obtained on a screen is called virtual image.

(b) Image formed by a convex mirror is always virtual and smaller in size.

(c) An image formed by a plane mirror is always of the same size as that of the object.

(d) An image which can be obtained on a screen is called a real image.

(e) An image formed by a concave lens cannot be obtained on a screen.

2. Mark ‘T’ if the statement is true and ‘F’ if it is false:

(a) We can obtain an enlarged and erect image by a convex mirror. (T/F)

(b) A concave lens always form a virtual image. (T/F)

(c) We can obtain a real, enlarged and inverted image by a concave mirror. (T/F)

(d) A real image cannot be obtained on a screen. (T/F)

(e) A concave mirror always form a real image. (T/F)

Solution:

a) False

b) True

c) True

d) False

e) False

3. Match the items given in Column I with one or more items of Column II.

Column-I	Column-II
(a) A plane mirror	(i) Used as a magnifying glass
(b) A convex mirror	(ii) Can form image of objects spread over a large area.
(c) A convex lens	(iii) Used by dentists to see enlarged image of teeth.
(d) A concave mirror	(iv) The image is always inverted and magnified
(e) A concave lens	(v) The image is erect and of the same size as the object.
	(vi) The image is erect and smaller in size than the object.

Solution:

Column-I	Column-II
(a) A plane mirror	(v) The image is erect and of the same size as the object.
(b) A convex mirror	(ii) Can form an image of objects spread over a large area.
(c) A convex lens	(i) Used as a magnifying glass
(d) A concave mirror	(iii) Used by dentists to see an enlarged image of teeth.
(e) A concave lens	(vi) The image is erect and smaller in size than the object.

4. State the characteristics of the image formed by a plane mirror

Solution:

Characteristics of the image formed by a plane mirror are as follows:

• Image distance and object distance are equal
• Size of object and image are equal
• The image formed is erect and virtual
• Images are laterally inverted

• 5. Find out the letters of English alphabet or any other language known to you in which the image formed in a plane mirror appears exactly like the letter itself. Discuss your findings.

  Solution:

  A, H, I, M, O, T, U, V, W, X, Y alphabets form images in a plane mirror exactly like the letter itself because these alphabets are laterally symmetric.

6. What is a virtual image? Give one situation where a virtual image is formed.

Solution:

The image that cannot be obtained on a screen is called a virtual image. The image formed by a plane mirror is virtual.

7. State two differences between a convex and a concave lens.

Solution:

Convex Lens	Concave Lens
Thick in the middle and thin at the edge	Thin in the middle and thick at the edge
Image formed is real or virtual	Image formed is virtual

8. Give one use each of a concave and a convex mirror.

Solution:

Concave mirrors are used in the headlights of cars and scooters.

Convex mirrors are used as side-view mirrors in vehicles.

. Which type of mirror can form a real image?

Solution:

The concave mirror can form a real image.

10. Which type of lens forms always a virtual image?

Solution:

Concave lens form a virtual image.

Choose the correct option in questions 11–13

11. A virtual image larger than the object can be produced by a

(i) concave lens (ii) concave mirror

(iii) convex mirror (iv) plane mirror

Solution:

The answer is (ii) concave mirror

12. David is observing his image in a plane mirror. The distance between the mirror and his image is 4 m. If he moves 1 m towards the mirror, then the distance between David and his image will be

(i) 3 m (ii) 5 m

(iii) 6 m (iv) 8 m

Solution:

The answer is (iii) 6 m

13. The rear view mirror of a car is a plane mirror. A driver is reversing his car at a speed of 2 m/s. The driver sees in his rear view mirror the image of a truck parked behind his car. The speed at which the image of the truck appears to approach the driver will be

(i) 1 m/s (ii) 2 m/s

(iii) 4 m/s (iv) 8 m/s

Solution:

The answer is (iii) 4 m/s