Chapter 1 Reflection of Light
1.1 Light rays
A Light beams and light rays
1 A light ray is represented by a solid straight line with an arrow.
2 A light beam is represented by a set of rays.
Type of light beam How it looks like How it is represented by rays
parallel beam
1 Lesson Worksheets 3A
B Seeing things
1 Draw cones of rays in the following figures to show how we see things.
Seeing a point Seeing the whole object
point
object
2 The rays from a very distant point are regarded as .
rays from a point on a
distant object
Checkpoint 1
Explain whether each of the following ray diagrams correctly shows how an observer sees a
point on the pencil.
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
2 Lesson Worksheets 3A
1.2 The laws of reflection
A The laws of reflection
1 When a ray of light meets a plane mirror, reflection occurs as below.
incident ray reflected ray
a
a:
b:
b
c:
* The is perpendicular to the mirror surface.
Experiment: Reflection of light
Place a plane mirror on the full circle protractor (printed on a paper). The mirror
surface should be precisely aligned with the 90°–90° line.
Direct a light ray onto the plane mirror at which the of the protractor
is located.
Record the (i) and the (r).
Repeat with different i.
3 Lesson Worksheets 3A
2 The laws of reflection:
• The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal all lie in
plane.
• Angle of reflection = angle of incidence (r = i)
Checkpoint 2
In each of the figures below, label i and r. Hence, find angle θ (show your calculation
steps).
(a) (b)
Solution
B Regular and diffuse reflection
1 Regular reflection Diffuse reflection
(a) occurs on flat and smooth surface occurs on surface
(b) produce image produce blurred / no image
(c) laws of reflection hold laws of reflection
4 Lesson Worksheets 3A
1.3 Images formed by a plane mirror
A Properties of the images formed by a plane mirror
1 An image formed by a plane mirror is
(a) the mirror,
(b) virtual,
(c) at the same perpendicular distance from the mirror as the object is,
i.e. image distance = ,
(d) of the same as the object,
(e) erect but inverted.
Checkpoint 3
Mary is 10 m in front of a plane mirror. Her dog, Dolly, is 5 m in front of her. If Mary walks
3 m towards the mirror,
how do the position and the size of her image change?
how does the position of Dolly’s image change as observed by Mary?
what is the distance between Mary and her image?
Solution
(a) The position of Mary’s image
The size of Mary’s image
(b) The position of Dolly’s image as observed by Mary.
(c) Distance of Mary from the mirror =
Distance of Mary’s image from the mirror =
Distance between Mary and her image =
5 Lesson Worksheets 3A
B Locating and seeing an image formed by a plane mirror
(a) We can locate the image formed by a plane mirror as follows.
O1 I1
O2 N I2
O1M = & O1I1 (locating I1)
O2N = & O2I2 (locating I2)
Checkpoint 4
Draw the image formed by the mirror in the figure.
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
objec t
6 Lesson Worksheets 3A
(b) A ray diagram can be drawn to show how we see an image formed by a plane mirror.
Follow the steps and finish the ray diagram on the right column.
① Locate and construct the image.
O2
O1 M I1 O1
O2 N I2
O1M = I1M & O1I1 MN
O2N = I2N & O2I2 MN
② Draw a cone of rays from I1 to the eye.
O2
O1 I1 O1
O2 I2
virtual rays: dotted lines
without arrows
real rays: solid lines with arrows
③ Draw two rays from O1 to the points
O2
where the rays from I1 meet the mirror.
O1
O1 I1
O2 I2
④ Repeat steps ② and ③ for I2 and O2.
O2
O1 I1 O1
O2 I2
7 Lesson Worksheets 3A
