PHYSICS

FORM 4

Chapter 5

Light
Compiled by
Cikgu Desikan
 Chapter 5
Light
Dear students,
The two basic processes of education are knowing and valuing.

Learning Objectives :
PRE SPM PHYSICS

1. Understanding reflection of light

2. Understanding refraction of light
3. Understanding total internal reflection of light
4. Understanding lenses
2016

Analysis of Past Year Questions

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
P1 5 5 5 4 5 5 5 4
A 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
P2 B - - - - - - - -
C - 1 - - - - - -
A - - - - - - - -
P3
B 1 - - - 1 - 1 -
 Chapter 5
Light
Dear students,
Great dreams of great dreamers are always transcended.
(by Dr. Abdul Kalam)

Concept Map
Light

Reflection of Refraction of Lenses

Light Light

Laws of Convex Concave

Laws of
Concave Refraction Lens lens
Reflection

Convex Refractive Total internal

Mirror index Reflection Ray
Plane diagram
Ray Diagram 1 1 1 1
sin i D n
n n sinc f u v
Positions and sin r d
characteristics of v of light in vacuum Positions and
image n characteristics of image
v of light in medium
5.1 Understanding Reflection Of Light

Reflection
N
1. Mirror works because it reflects light.. A B
2. The light ray that strikes the surface of the
mirror is called incident ray. i r
3. The light ray that bounces off from the
surface of the mirror is called reflected ray. O
4. The normal is a line perpendicular to the Mirror
mirror surface where the reflection occurs.
AO = Incident ray
5. The angle between the incident ray and the
OB = Reflected ray
normal is called the angle of incidence, i i = Angle of incident
6. The angle between the reflected ray and the r = Angle of reflection
normal is called the angle of reflection, r.

Laws of Reflection

4
Draw ray diagrams to show the positioning and characteristics of the image formed by a
plane mirror.

Characteristics of the image formed by

reflection of light.
Object

Student Plane Mirror Notes:

Real image : Image that can be seen on a
screen

Virtual image : Image that cannot be seen

on a screen.

Great dreams of great dreamers are always

transcended.

APJ Abdul Kalam 5

Reflection of light on curved mirror

Concave Mirror
Common terminology of curved mirrors

Centre of curvature, C

P The center of sphere of the mirror

C F
Principle axis
The connecting line from the centre of curvature to point P
Radius of curvature, CP
Convex Mirror
The distance between the centre of curvature and the surface
of the mirror.
Focal point, F
The focal point of a concave mirror is the point on the principle
P axis where all the reflected rays meet and converge.
F C
The focal point of convex mirror is the point on the principle
axis where all the reflected rays appear to diverge from
behind the mirror.

6
 Common terminology of curved mirrors
Focal length, f
The distance between the focal point and the surface of the mirror. (FP or CP)
Object distance, u
The distance between the object and the surface of the mirror.
Image distance, v
The distance between the image and the surface of the mirror.

Differences

Concave Mirror Convex Mirror

Rays travelling parallel to the principal axis Rays travelling parallel to the principal axis
converge to a point, called the focal point on appear to diverge from a point behind the
the principal axis. mirror, called the focal point on the principal
axis.

7
Construction Rules for Concave Mirror and Convex Mirror

Concave Mirror Convex Mirror

Rule 1

Object Object

F F

A ray parallel to the principal axis is reflected A ray parallel to the principal axis is reflected as
through F. if it comes from F.
Rule 2
Object
Object

F F

A ray passing through F is reflected parallel to A ray directed towards F is reflected parallel to
the principal axis the principal axis.

8
Construction Rules for Concave Mirror and Convex Mirror

Concave Mirror Convex Mirror

Rule 3
Object
Object

C F F C

A ray passing through C is reflected back along A ray is directed towards C is reflected back
the same path through C. along the same path away from C.

If an egg is broken by an outside force.

A life ends.
If an egg breaks from within...... .
Life begins.
Great things always begin from within .
9
Ray Diagrams of concave mirror

u > 2f u = 2f or u = c

O
O C F F

f < u < 2f or f < u < c u=f

O O

C F C F

10
Ray Diagram of concave mirror

u<f Object Characteristics of the

distance image:
O u > 2f

u = 2f
C F
f < u < 2f

u=f

u<f

Sir, we are surrounded from all

sides by enemies!

Excellent ! We can attack in

any direction.
11
Ray Diagram of convex mirror

f < u < 2f u<f

O O
C F F C C F F C

Object distance Characteristics of the image:

u > 2f
u = 2f Diminished, upright, virtual
f < u < 2f
Image formed within 0 < v < f
u=f
u<f
12
Application of Reflection of Light
pointer
Anti-parallax Mirror in Ammeters or Voltmeter
1. A parallax error occurs when the scale is viewed at
an improper angle (the eye sees both the pointer and
its image).
2. Some meters provide a mirror within the display, so mirror
that a user can easily determine the correct viewing strip
angle by checking the needle's reflection.
3. The proper angle is achieved when the needle's
reflection is not visible to the user's eye.

pointers image
Periscope mirror
ray from a 45
1. A periscope can be used to see over the top
far object
of high obstacles such as a wall.
2. It is also used inside a submarine to observe
the surrounding above water surface.
3. Consist of 2 plane mirror inclined at an
angle of 45.
4. The final image appears upright.

45 13
Ambulance Reflector of torchlight

The light bulb is fixed in position at the focal

Why is the word AMBULANCE
purposely inverted laterally on
an ambulance car?
Images seen through the rear
mirror of a car is laterally
inverted.
Make-up Mirror
point of the concave mirror to produce a
beam of parallel light rays.
The beam of parallel light rays will maintain
a uniform intensity for a greater distance.
Other applications are the headlight of motor
vehicles and the lamp of slide projectors.

Concave mirrors with

long focal lengths,
produce virtual, F parallel
magnified and upright light rays
images bulb

14
Widening the field of vision

Field of vision Wider field of vision

a) Plane mirror b) Convex mirror
When a convex mirror is used, the field of vision is larger than a plane mirror
Convex mirrors are used as rear view mirrors in motor vehicles to give drivers a wide-angle view
of vehicles behind them.
It is also used as shop security mirrors.

Transmission of radio waves and signals

A concave parabolic surface is

used to focus the radio wave
signals.

15
5.2 Understanding Refraction Of Light

Refraction of light

A N
Denser
i medium

O
r
B
Less Dense medium

A N
Less Dense
i medium Angle of the angle between the incident ray
incidence, i and the normal.
O Angle of the angle between the refracted ray
r refraction, r and the normal
Denser medium i>r the ray bent towards the normal, and
B the speed of light decreases.
AO = Incident ray r<i the ray bent away from the normal
OB = Refracted ray
and the speed of light increases.
ON = Normal line
i = Angle of incident
r = Angle of refraction 16
3 ways in which a ray of light can travel through two medium
When a light ray travels from When a ray of light travels When light ray is incident
less dense medium to denser from denser medium to less normally on the boundary
medium dense medium. between the two medium.
A N
A N Less Dense Denser
medium
i i medium

O O
r r
B
Denser medium Less Dense medium
B

The light ray is refracted The light ray is refracted away The light ray is does not bend.
towards the normal. from the normal.
The speed of light decreases. The speed of light increases.

The Laws of Refraction

17
Refractive Index, n

Snells Law Real Depth and Apparent Depth

Normal
sin i
constant n 1
sin r Air
Water h
H I H = Real depth
h = Aparent depth
O
Velocity of light in medium
The refraction of light is caused by the 1. Rays of light coming from the real fish, O
change in velocity of light when it travels from water (more dense) to air
passes from a medium to another (less dense)
medium. 2. The rays are refracted away from the
2
normal as they leave the water.
velocity of light in vacuum 3. When the light reaches the eye of the
n person, it appears to come from a virtual
velocity of light in medim
fish, I which is above the real fish O.

The refractive index has no units.

It is an indication of the light-bending
H
n
ability of the medium as the ray of light
enters its surface from the air.
3
h
18
Exercise 5.2
1. a) Draw a ray diagram from point P to the eye to show how the legs appear shorter.
b) The depth of water is 0.4 m. Calculate the distance of the image of the foot at point P from
the surface of the water. [Refractive index of water = 1.33]

19
2. The light ray travels from air to medium x. Find the:
a) incident angle 45
b) refracted angle Air
c) refractive index
60 Medium X

3. A light ray is incident normally on a glass prism which has a

refractive index of 1.50.
a) complete the ray diagram. 30
b) Find the incident angle and the refractive angle

60

20
5.3 Total Internal Reflection Of Light

i<c Normal
Refracted
1. When light travels from a denser medium to a less ray
dense, it bends away from normal. r
2. A small part of the incident ray is reflected inside the Air
glass. Glass
3. The angle of refraction is larger than the angle of i
incidence, r > i
Incident
ray Weak
reflected
ray

i=c
Normal
1. When the angle of incidence, i keeps on increasing, r
too increases and the refracted ray moves further r = 90
away from the normal and thus approaches the Air Refracted
glass air boundary. Glass ray
2. The refracted ray travels along the glass-air boundary. c
i=c c
3. This is the limit of the light ray that can be refracted in
air as the angle in air cannot be any larger than 90. Incident
4. The angle of incidence in the denser medium at this ray Weak
limit is called the critical angle, c. reflected
ray
21
i>c
1. If the angle of incidence is increased further so that it Normal
is greater than the critical angle, the light is not
refracted anymore, but is internally reflected.
2. This phenomenon is called total internal reflection. Air
Glass
c
i>c
Strong
Incident reflected
ray ray

Total internal reflection

Conditions
The two conditions for total internal reflection to occur are:
1. light ray enters from a denser medium towards a less dense medium
2. the angle of incidence in the denser medium is greater than the critical angle of the medium.

22
Exercise 5.3
Calculate the critical angle, c [ Refractive index of water = 1.33 ].
1.

Air

Water
c

2. Figure shows a light ray strikes the surface of a prism. The

refractive index of glass is 1.5. Find the critical angle. Complete
the path of the light ray that passes into and out of the prism.

45

23
Natural Phenomenon involving Total Internal Reflection

Mirage 1. Mirage is caused by refraction

and total internal reflection.
2. Mirage normally occur in the
daytime when the weather is hot.
3. The air above the road surface
consists of many layers.

4. The layers of air nearest the road are hot and the layers get cooler and denser towards the
upper layers.
5. The refractive index of air depends on its density. The lower or hotter layers have a lower
refractive index than the layers above them.

Sunset
1. The Sun is visible above the horizon
even though it has set below the
horizon.
2. Light entering the atmosphere is
refracted by layers of air of different
densities producing an apparent shift
in the position of the Sun.

24
Applications of Total Internal Reflection

Prism Periscope

1. The periscope is built using two right-angled

45 prisms.
object
2. The critical angle of the glass prisms is 42.
prism
3. Total internal reflection occurs when the light rays
strike the inside face of a 45angles with an angle
of incidence, I, greater than the critical angle, c,.
4. The image produced is upright and has the same
size as the object.
prism
image Advantage of the prisms periscope compared to a
mirror periscope:
a) the image is brighter because all the light energy
45 is reflected.
b) the image is clearer because there are no multiple
images as formed in a mirror periscope.

25
Fishs Eye View
1. A fish is able to see an object above the water surface because the rays of light from the object
are refracted to the eyes of the fish or diver.
2. Due to total internal reflection, part of the water surface acts as a perfect mirror, which allows
the fish and diver to see objects in the water and the objects around obstacles.
3. A fish sees the outside world inside a 96 cone. Outside the 96cone, total internal reflection
occurs and the fish sees light reflected from the bottom of the pond. The water surface looks
like a mirror reflecting light below the surface.

refraction

Fish sees outside Total internal reflection

world inside 96
cone

26
Prism Binoculars
1. A pair of binoculars uses two prisms which
are arranged as shown in figure.
2. Light rays will be totally reflected internally
two times in a pair of binoculars.
3. The benefits of using prisms in binoculars:
a) an upright image is produced.
b) The distance between the objective lens
and the eyepiece is reduced. This make
the binoculars shorter as compared to a
telescope which has the same
magnifying power.

45

Object

Objective Prism B
lens Image

Eyepiece 45
Prism A lens
27
Optical fibers

1. Fiber optics consists of a tubular rod

which is made from glass and other
transparent material.
2. The external wall of a fiber optic is less
dense than the internal wall.
3. When light rays travel from a denser
internal wall to a less dense external wall
at an angle that exceeds the critical angle,
total internal reflection occurs repeatedly.
4. This will continue until the light rays enter
the observers eye.
5. Optical fiber is widely used in
telecommunication cables to transmit
signal through laser. It can transmit signal
external wall faster and through long distance with high
fidelity.
6. Optical fiber is also used in an endoscope
Internal wall for medical emerging.

Advantage of using optical fibres cables over copper cables:

(a) much thinner and lighter
(b) a large number of signals can be sent through them at one time.
(c) transmit signals with very little loss over great distances.
(d) signals are safe and free of electrical interference
(e) can carry data for computer and TV programmes. 28
5.4 Lenses
Lenses are made of transparent material such as glass or clear plastics. They have two faces, of
which at least one is curved.

Convex Lens

Convex lenses @
converging lenses
- thicker at the centre

Biconvex Plano-convex Concavo - convex

Concave Lens

Concave lenses @
diverging lenses
- thinner at the centre

Biconcave Plano-concave Concavo - concave

29
Focal Point and Focal Length of a Lens

Light rays Focal Point @ the principal focus, F

Focal A point on the principle axis to which incident

point rays of light traveling parallel to the axis
converge after refraction through a convex
Principal axis lens.
F C F
Focal length, f
Distance between the focal point, F and the
f optical centre , C
Optical center

Focal Point @ principal focus, F

Light rays
A point on the principal axis to which incident
rays of light traveling parallel to the axis
Principal axis appear to diverge after refraction through a
F C concave lens.
Focal
point Focal length, f
Distance between the focal point , F and
f optical centre, C on the lens.

30
Rules for Ray Diagrams
Convex Lens
1 2 3

F O O
F O
F F F F

The ray parallel to the A ray passing through the A ray passing through the
principal axis is refracted focus point is refracted optical centre travels straight
through the focus point, F. parallel to the principal axis. without bending.

Concave Lens
1 2 3

F O F F O F F O F

The ray parallel to the
principal axis is refracted as if
it appears coming from focus
point, F which is located at
the same side of the incident
ray.
A ray passing the focus point A ray passing through the
is refracted parallel to the optical centre travels straight
principle axis. on without bending.
31
Ray Diagrams of convex lens

u<f u=f

O O
2F F F 2F F F

f < u < 2f

O
2F F F 2F

32
 u = 2f u > 2f

O O
2F F F 2F 2F F F

u= Object Characteristics of the image:

distance
u= Diminished, inverted, real
F u > 2f Diminished, inverted, real
O u = 2f Same size, inverted, real
F
f < u < 2f Magnified, inverted, real
u=f Magnified, upright, virtual
u<f Magnified, upright, virtual

33
Ray Diagrams of concave lens

f < u < 2f

R1

Object

Image O
2F F
R3

34
Ray Diagrams of concave lens

u = 2f u<f

O O
2F F 2F F

Object
Characteristics of the image:
distance
u=
u > 2f
u = 2f
f < u < 2f
u=f
u<f

35
Power of Lenses
1. The power of a lens is a measure of its ability to f in m f in cm
converge or to diverge an incident beam of light.
2. SI unit = m-1 or Diopter (D).
3. Power for a convex lens is positive. Power for a
concave lens is negative.

Lens Formula
m<1

f = focal length
u = object distance m=1
1
v = image distance
m>1

2 m = Linear magnification Example 1

Find the power:
a) convex lens, f = 20 cm,
b) concave lens, f = -5 cm.
hI = size of image
3 h0 = size of object

36
Exercise 5.4
1. An object is placed in front of a convex lens with focal length of 10 cm. Find the nature, position
and magnification of the image formed when the object distance is 15 cm.

37
2. An object is placed 20 cm from a concave lens of focal length 15 cm. Calculate the image
distance. State the characteristics of the image formed.

38
3. A convex lens with focus length of 15 cm formed an image which is real, inverted and same
size with the object. What is the object distance from the lens?

39
4. When an object of height 3.0 cm is placed 20 cm from a concave lens of focal length 30cm,
what is the height of the image formed?

40
Applications of Lenses

Simple Microscopes

Application : to magnified the image

Lens : a convex lens
Object distance: less than the focal length
of the lens, u < f
Characteristics of image: virtual, upright,
magnified
The magnifying power increases if the focal
length of the lens is shorter.

object

F O
F

eye

41
Telescope
Objective
Light ray lens Eyepiece
from distant lens
fo fe
object
u1 =
Fe Fe
Fo Fo

u 2 = fe

Final image
formed at infinity

Application : view very distant objects like the planets and the stars.
Made up of two convex lenses :Objective lens and eyepiece lens
Focal length fo for objective lens is longer than the focal length for eyepiece lens, fe
The objective lens converges the parallel rays from a distant object and forms a real,
inverted and diminished image at its focal point.
The eyepiece lens is used as a magnifying glass to form a virtual, upright and magnified
image.
At normal adjustment the final image is formed at infinity.
This is done by adjusting the position of the eyepiece lens so that the first real image
becomes the object at the focal point, Fe of the eyepiece lens.
Normal adjustment: The distance between the lenses is f0 + fe 42
Compound Microscope
Eyepiece
Objective lens
lens

fo < u1 < 2fo

fo fe
object Fe
2Fo Fo Fo 1st image Fe

Final image
u 2 < fe

Application: to view very small objects like microorganisms

Uses 2 powerful convex lenses (Objective lens, Eyepiece lens ) of
short focal lengths.
Focal length fo for objective lens is shorter than the focal length for
eyepiece lens, fe
Object to observed must be placed between F0 and 2F0
Characteristics of 1st image: real, inverted, magnified. 43
 The eyepiece lens is used as a magnifying glass to magnify the first image formed by the
objective lens.
The eyepiece lens must be positioned so that the first image is between the lens and Fe, the
focal point of the eyepiece lens.
Characteristics of final image formed by the eyepiece lens: virtual, upright and magnified.
Normal Adjustment: The distance between the lenses is greater than the sum of their individual
focal length (fo + fe)

44