REFLECTION

OF LIGHT
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REFLECTION OF LIGHT
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Light Travels in Straight Lines
A ray is the direction or path along which
light energy flows. In a diagram, rays are
represented by lines with arrowheads.
A collection of rays is called a beam.

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THE LAWS OF REFLECTION
FIRST LAWS

The incident ray, the reflected ray and
the nornal all lie in the same plane


SECOND LAWS

The angle of incidence, I is equal to
the angle of reflection, r
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THE LAWS OF REFLECTION
When a ray of light strikes a plane
mirror, the light ray reflects off the
mirror. Reflection involves a change in
direction of the light ray. The
convention used to express the
direction of a light ray is to indicate
the angle which the light ray makes
with a normal drawn to the surface of
the mirror. The angle of incidence is
the angle between this normal and the
incident ray; the angle of reflection is
the angle between this normal and the
reflected ray. According to the law of
reflection, the angle of incidence
equals the angle of reflection. These
concepts are illustrated in the
animation at the right.
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Image Formation for Plane Mirrors

In the animation
above, an object is
positioned in front
of a plane mirror.
The plane mirror
will produce an
image of the object
on the opposite side
of the mirror. The
distance from the
onject to the mirror
equal the distance
from the image to
the mirror. Any
person viewing this
image must sight at
this image position.
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Image Formation in Plane Mirrors
1. Draw the image of the
object.
2. Pick one extreme on
the image of the
object and draw the
reflected ray which
will travel to the eye
as it sights at this
point
3. Draw the incident ray
for light traveling from
the corresponding
extreme on the object
to the mirror.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3
for all other
extremities on the
object.
Distance of the
object
Distance of the
image
object
image
Plane mirror
normal
Eye
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Check Your Understanding

Explain why emergency vehicles such as ambulances are
often marked on the front hood with reversed lettering
(e.g., ECNALUBMA).

Answer: AMBULANCE

If Suzie stands 3 feet in front of a plane mirror, how far
from the person will her image be located?

Answer: 6 feet

If a toddler crawls towards a mirror at a rate of 0.25 m/s,
then at what speed will the toddler and the toddler's
image approach each other?

Answer : 0.25 m/s

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The image of an object in a plane mirror
(a) Same size as object
(b) Laterally inverted
(c) virtual
(d) As far behind the mirror
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CONVEX MIRROR
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CURVED MIRROR
If a concave mirror is thought of as being
a slice of a sphere, then there would be a
line passing through the center of the
sphere and attaching to the mirror in the
exact center of the mirror. This line is
known as the principal axis. The point
in the center of sphere from which the
mirror was sliced is known as the center
of curvature and is denoted by the
letter C in the diagram below. The point
on the mirror's surface where the
principal axis meets the mirror is known
as the vertex and is denoted by the
letter A in the diagram below. The vertex
is the geometric center of the mirror.
Midway between the vertex and the
center of curvature is a point known as
the focal point; the focal point is
denoted by the letter F in the diagram
below. The distance from the vertex to
the center of curvature is known as the
radius of curvature (abbreviated by
"R"). The radius of curvature is the radius
of the sphere from which the mirror was
cut. Finally, the distance from the mirror
to the focal point is known as the focal
length (abbreviated by "f"). Since the
focal point is the midpoint of the line
segment adjoining the vertex and the
center of curvature, the focal length
would be one-half the radius of curvature.
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Ray diagrams of convex and concave mirror
Two rules of reflection for concave mirrors. They are:

Any incident ray traveling parallel to the principal axis on the way to
a concave mirror will pass through the focal point upon reflection.
Any incident ray passing through the focal point on the way to a
concave mirror will travel parallel to the principal axis upon
reflection.

The revised rules can be stated as follows:

Any incident ray traveling parallel to the principal axis on the way to
a convex mirror will reflect in a manner that its extension will pass
through the focal point.
Any incident ray traveling towards a convex mirror such that its
extension passes through the focal point will reflect and travel
parallel to the principal axis.

P C F
principal
axis
Concave mirror
C F
Convex mirror
Any incident ray traveling
parallel to the principal axis
on the way to a concave
mirror will pass through the
focal point upon reflection.
Any incident ray traveling
parallel to the principal axis
on the way to a convex
mirror will reflect in a
manner that its extension will
pass through the focal point.
P
C F
Any incident ray traveling
towards a convex mirror
such that its extension
passes through the focal
point will reflect and travel
parallel to the principal axis.
C F
Any incident ray passing
through the focal point on
the way to a concave mirror
will travel parallel to the
principal axis upon
reflection.
Concave mirror
Convex mirror
P
C
F
A line through the centre of
curvature, C from the top
of the object
Concave mirror Convex mirror
C
F
A line through the centre of
curvature, C from the top
of the object
1. U < f
I
Characteristics:
Virtual
Upright
magnified

Applications :
Shaving mirror
2. U = f
Characteristics:
Virtual
Upright
magnified

Applications :
Sport light
3. f < U < 2f
I
Characteristics:
real
inverted
magnified

Applications :
Projector
I
4. U = 2f or at C
Characteristics:
real
inverted
same size

Applications :
Reflector in the projector
I
5. U > 2f or behind C
Characteristics:
real
inverted
diminished

Applications :
telescope
P F
6. Infinity object
C
I
Characteristics:
virtual
inverted
diminished

C F
O
I
F
4. U > f
Characteristics:
virtual
upright
diminished

C F
O
I
F
4. U < f
Characteristics:
virtual
Upright
diminished

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APLICATION OF REFLECTION
OF LIGHT
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Rear view mirror
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Dentist mirror
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Periscope
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Activity
2 plane mirror
1 manila card
1 scissors
1 tape
1 candle
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Prosedure