Reflection

Of light: The bouncing back of light rays into the same medium on striking a surface like mirror is called
reflection of light.
When light suffers reflection speed, frequency and wavelength remains unchanged.
On reflection from denser medium phase change of takes place.
The deviation in the path of light is 180-2i whenever light suffers reflection and angle of incidence is i
Laws Of reflection: [1] The angle which incident ray makes with
normal is always equal to the angle which reflected ray makes with
Normal
the normal.
Reflected ray
Incident ray
[2] Incident ray reflected ray and normal all three lie in the same
i r
plane which is perpendicular to the plane of reflection
Boundary

Real And Virtual Images
If light rays after reflection or refraction actually meets at a point then image formed is real and if they appears to
meet at a point then image formed is virtual.



I
O
Real image
I

O

(Real image)

(Real object)

(Virtual image)

(Virtual object)

Plane Mirror: The image formed by plane mirror is virtual, erect, laterally inverted and of same size as that of the
object and at a distance equal to the distance of object from the mirror.
Rotation: If plane mirror is rotated in the plane of incidence by an angle , by keeping the incident ray fixed,
the reflected ray is turned by 2.
Images formed by two plane Mirrors: if two mirrors are inclined at an angle with each other, then the
number of images formed by them are
1. N= (360/)-1 if 360/ is an even integer
2. If 360/ is an odd integer, then there can be two cases
If object is placed symmetrically then 360/)-1
If object is placed unsymmetrically then 360/
Note:
If 360/ is in fractions then nearest even integer is the number of images.
When object moves with speed u towards or away from mirror then image also moves towards or away
from mirror with u. Relative speed of object is 2u
When mirror moves towards stationary object with speed u, the image will move with speed 2u.
Spherical Mirrors :



C
C
P
P

F
F
Principle axis



Concave Mirror
Convex Mirror

Pole: Midpoint of mirror
Center of curvature: Center of sphere of which mirror is a part.
Radius Of Curvature: The distance between center of curvature and the pole
Principal Axis: Line passing through pole and center of curvature
Focus: Point where rays coming parallel to principal axis from infinity converge or appear to converge.
Focal Length: Distance between focus and pole

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Aperture: effective diameter of light reflecting area of the mirror. Intensity of image [aperture]2
Focal plane: Plane passing through focus and perpendicular to principal axis
Rules For Image Formation:
Rule 1: The ray moving parallel to principal axis converges or appears to converge at focus after reflection
Rule:2: Incident ray from focus after reflection from mirror moves parallel to principal axis
Rule 3: Ray through center of curvature retraces its path.



C
C

F
F
F
F


Sign Convention All distances are measured from pole of the mirror
Pole is assumed to be the origin of coordinate system. If light moves from left to right, then distanes to the
left of pole are negative and distances to the right of pole are positive.
Transverse distances above the axis positive and below the axis negative.

Concave mirror[real I ]
Concave [virtual image]
Convex mirror
Distance of object
Negative
Negative
Negative
Distance of image
Negative
Positive
Positive
Height Of Object
Positive
Positive
Positive
Height of image
Negative
Positive
Positive
Focal length
Negative
Negative
Positive
Radius of curvature
Negative
Negative
Positive
Magnification[m=-v/u]
Negative
Positive
Positive

Important: 1. In concave mirror minimum distance between real object and its real image is zero
2. Convex mirror forms real image if object is virtual
3. for convex mirror maximum image distance is its focal length.
Position, size and nature of image formed by the spherical mirror

Mirror

Location of the
object

(a) Concave

At infinity

i.e. u =

Away from centre

Location of the
image

Magnification,
Size of the image

Nature
Real

Erect

virtual

inverted

At focus i.e. v = f

m << 1, diminished

Real

inverted

Between f and 2f

m < 1, diminished

Real

inverted

Real

inverted

Between centre of
Away from the
m > 1, magnified
curvature and focus centre of curvature
:
v > 2f
F < u < 2f

Real

inverted

At focus i.e. u = f

At infinity i.e. v =

m = , magnified

Real

inverted

Between pole and

focus u < f

v > u

m > 1 magnified

Virtual

erect

of curvature (u > 2f) i.e.

f < v < 2f

At centre of

At centre of

m = 1, same size as

curvature u = 2f

curvature i.e. v = 2f

that of the object

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(b) Convex

At infinity i.e. u =

At focus i.e., v = f

m < 1, diminished

Virtual

erect

Anywhere between
infinity and pole

Between pole and

focus

m < 1, diminished

Virtual

erect

Mirror Formula It is mathematical relation between distance of object , distance of image and its focal length. Using
sign conventions for numerical mirror formula is given by
1 1 1
= +
f v u
Newtons formula : If object distance (x1) and image distance (x2) are measured from focus instead of pole
then
f 2 = x 1 x 2
Longitudinal magnification: When a object is placed perpendicular to the principle axis, then linear

magnification is called lateral or transverse magnification.

It is given by
I
v
f
f v

= =
=
O
u f u
f

m=

Transverse magnification: When object lies along the principle axis then its longitudinal
magnification
m=

I (v2 v1)

=
O
(u2 u1)
2

If object is small; m = dv = v
du

f
u

Length of image = v Length of object (L 0 ) or (L i ) =

u

. L o
f

Areal magnification: If a 2D-object is placed with it's plane perpendicular to principle axis
It's Areal magnification M s =

Area of image (A i ) ma mb
=
= m 2
Area of object (A o )
ab

ms = m 2 =

Ai

Ao

Important Points:
1. Focal length of a mirror is independent of material of mirror, medium in which it is placed, wavelength
of incident light
2. Divergence or Convergence power of a mirror does not change with the change in medium.
3. If an object is moving at a speed vo towards a spherical mirror along its axis then speed of image away
from mirror is

f
u

vi =

.vo
f

(use sign convention)

4. When object is moved from focus to infinity at constant speed, the image will move faster in the
beginning and slower later on, towards the mirror.

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5. As every part of mirror forms a complete image, if a part of the mirror is obstructed, full image will be
formed but intensity will be reduced.
6. Don't put the sign of quantity which is to be determined.
7. If a spherical mirror produces an image m times the size of the object (m = magnification) then u, v
and f are given by the followings

m 1
u=
f , v = (m 1) f
m

and

m
f =
u (use sign convention)
m 1)

Concave mirror [Real Image]

Concave Mirror [Virtual Image]

Convex Mirror [virtual Image]

2f

Hyperbola

1
f

2f

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