18 Questions
What enables us to see objects during the day?
Sunlight reflected by the objects
In optical phenomena, what does a small source of light casting a sharp shadow indicate?
Light travels in straight lines
What optical phenomenon involves light bending around a very small object?
Diffraction of light
What is the effect when an opaque object on the path of light becomes very small?
Diffraction of light occurs
How do we see through a transparent medium?
By transmission of light through the medium
What makes things visible when we light up a dark room?
Objects reflect light that falls on them
What happens to a ray parallel to the principal axis after reflection in a concave mirror?
Passes through the principal focus
When a ray passes through the principal focus of a convex mirror, what is its behavior after reflection?
Emerges parallel to the principal axis
What happens to a ray passing through the centre of curvature of a concave mirror after reflection?
Reflects back along the same path
In what way does a ray incident obliquely towards the pole of a convex mirror behave after reflection?
Reflects obliquely following the laws of reflection
What is true about a ray directed towards the centre of curvature of a convex mirror?
It reflects back along the same path
When a ray is parallel to the principal axis in a convex mirror, what is its behavior after reflection?
Appears to diverge from the principal focus
What is the angle of reflection equal to, according to the laws of reflection of light?
Angle of incidence
What lies in the same plane according to the laws of reflection of light?
Incident ray, normal, reflected ray
Which type of surface reflects most of the light falling on it?
Highly polished surface
What do we call an image formed by a plane mirror?
Virtual image
In the context of light reflection, what does a virtual image mean?
Image that cannot be projected on a screen
How does a real image formed by a mirror differ from a virtual image?
Can be projected on a screen vs. Cannot be projected on a screen
Study Notes
Nature of Light
- At the beginning of the 20th century, the wave theory of light was found to be inadequate in explaining the interaction of light with matter.
- Light exhibits both wave-like and particle-like properties.
- The modern quantum theory of light reconciles these properties.
Reflection of Light
- A highly polished surface, such as a mirror, reflects most of the light falling on it.
- The laws of reflection of light state that:
- The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
- The incident ray, the normal to the mirror at the point of incidence, and the reflected ray all lie in the same plane.
- These laws are applicable to all types of reflecting surfaces, including spherical surfaces.
Mirrors and Reflection
- A small source of light casts a sharp shadow of an opaque object, indicating that light travels in straight lines.
- When an opaque object on the path of light becomes very small, light bends around it, exhibiting diffraction.
- In optics, light is thought of as a wave to explain phenomena such as diffraction.
Rays and Mirrors
- A ray parallel to the principal axis, after reflection, will pass through the principal focus in case of a concave mirror or appear to diverge from the principal focus in case of a convex mirror.
- A ray passing through the principal focus of a concave mirror or a ray directed towards the principal focus of a convex mirror, after reflection, will emerge parallel to the principal axis.
- A ray passing through the centre of curvature of a concave mirror or directed in the direction of the centre of curvature of a convex mirror, after reflection, is reflected back along the same path.
Explore the modern quantum theory of light, which reconciles the particle properties of light with its wave nature. Learn about how light is neither exclusively a wave nor a particle, but a unique entity with dual characteristics.
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