PHYSICS – Reflection and Refraction
Features of Light
✓Light is a form of radiation.
✓Light travels in straight lines.
✓Light transfers energy.
✓Light travels as waves.
✓Light can travel through empty spaces.
✓Light is the fastest thing there is.
Reflection in a Plane Mirror
Normal
Incident ray Reflected ray
Angle of Angle of
incidence reflection
REMINDER: always use a
ruler to draw light rays
(light travels in straight
lines) and don’t forget to
include arrows showing
direction of light.
Plane mirror
Where is the image in a Plane Mirror?
Dotted lines show the
construction of the
virtual image)
The image in the mirror
looks the same as the
object, but it is laterally The image formed is
inverted (back to front). upright, but it is a
virtual image
(doesn’t really exist).
Where is the image in a Plane Mirror?
Normal view from the Same view as seen in the
front. rear view mirror of a car.
The word AMBULANCE is laterally inverted so that
it reads correctly when seen in a driving mirror.
Where is the image in a Plane Mirror?
Finding this image by experiment.
Put a mirror
upright on a piece
of paper. Put a
pin in front of the
mirror – mark the
position of the pin
and mirror.
Where is the image in a Plane Mirror?
Finding this image by experiment.
Line up one edge
of the ruler with
the image of the
pin. Draw a line to
mark the position.
Where is the image in a Plane Mirror?
Finding this image by experiment.
Repeat with the
ruler in a
different position.
Where is the image in a Plane Mirror?
Finding this image by experiment.
Take away the
ruler and mirror –
where the two
lines meet is the
position of the
image.
Where is the image in a Plane Mirror?
Finding this image by experiment.
Test the position
by putting a
second pin exactly
where the image
was marked. The
second pin should
stay in line with
the mirror image
where-ever you
view it from = no
parallax.
Where is the image in a Plane Mirror?
Finding this image by experiment.
Rules for mirror
images:
1. Image is the
same size as
the object.
2. Image is as far
behind the
mirror as the
X X object is in
front.
Constructions to find the image on a plane mirror
– Method 1
1. Draw a ray from object ‘O’ to the mirror
that strikes the mirror at point ‘P’
2. Construct a normal (a line at right angles to
the mirror) at point ‘P’.
3. Measure the angle of incidence (angle
between the ray and normal) for this ray.
4. Draw the reflected ray from this point, so
that the angle of reflection is equal to angle
of incidence.
5. Draw another ray from object ‘O’ to the
mirror that strikes the mirror at point ‘Q’.
Constructions to find the image on a plane mirror
– Method 1
5. Repeat steps 2 to
4 for the second
ray.
6. Extend the two
rays backwards
until they
intersect.
7. The point of
intersection is the
image position ‘I’.
Constructions to find the image on a plane mirror
– Method 2
1. From the object ‘O’, draw a line that
passes through the mirror’s surface at
right angles.
2. Extend this line well beyond the mirror.
3. Measure the distance from the object to
the mirror.
4. At an equal distance behind the mirror.
Mark a point on the extended line. This
point, ‘I’ is the image position.
Refraction
• Refraction is the bending
of light when it travels
from one medium to
another.
• This occurs because of
change in speed of light
when it enters from one
medium to another.
• A ‘medium’ is glass, or
air, or water or any other
transparent medium
Refraction – Through a glass slab
Light passing through a
glass block at right angles
to the surface will not be
refracted. The rays will
pass straight through. Air
Glass
block
Refraction
Angle of
incidence Incident
Air light ray
When passing from
a less dense medium
Glass (air) to a more
block dense medium
(glass) light bends
towards the normal.
Refracted
light ray Angle of
refraction
Normal
line
Refraction
Angle of
incidence Incident
Air light ray
Glass
block
Refracted
light ray Angle of
refraction
The ray emerges from
the block parallel to Normal
its original direction. line
Refraction
So why is
light
refracted?
Air
Glass Light is
made up of
block many tiny
waves
Normal
line
Refraction
So why is
light
refracted?
Air
Glass Light is
made up of
block many tiny
When light beams pass
waves
from air into glass one
side is slowed before the
other. This causes the
light beam to ‘bend’
Real and Apparent Depth
What is the
‘refractive index’?
Refractive
Medium
index
The refractive index
Vacuum 1.0000
of a medium (glass,
water) is defined as Air 1.0003
the speed of light in Water 1.3333
a vacuum divided by Glass 1.5200
the speed of light in Diamond 2.4170
the medium. Perspex 1.4900
Refractive index = Speed of light in a vacuum
Speed of light in medium
Refraction of light by a
prism.
A Prism is a triangular block of
plastic or glass.
The Sides of a prism are not
parallel.
White light
Refraction of light by a
prism.
Refraction
Refraction of light by a
prism.
This effect is called dispersion
It happens because white is a mixture
of all the colours in the rainbow
PHYSICS – Reflection and Refraction
