Physics Definitions

CHAPTER 4-A
Refraction : The change in direction of the path of light, when it passes from one transparent
medium to another transparent medium is called refraction.
Deviation : It is the angle between the direction of refracted ray and the direction of incident
ray. It is denoted by the greek letter delta.
The refractive index of second medium with respect to the first medium is defined as the
ratio of the sine of angle of incidence in the first medium to the sine of angle of refraction in
the second medium.
The absolute refractive index of a medium is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in
vacuum or air to the speed of light in that medium.
According to the principle of reversibility of ray of light, the path of the light ray is reversible.
The perpendicular distance between the emergent ray and the direction of the incident ray is
called lateral displacement.
CHAPTER 4-B
A prism is a transparent medium bounded by five plane surface with a triangular
cross-section.
CHAPTER 4-C
Shift is the phenomenon by which the object appears to be raised.
CHAPTER 4-D
Critical Angle is the angle of incidence in the denser medium corresponding to which the
angle of refraction in the rarer medium is 90 degrees.
When a ray of light is travelling in a denser medium, is incident at the surface of the rarer
medium at the angle of incidence greater than the critical angle for pair of media, the ray is
totally reflected back into the denser medium. This phenomenon is called total internal
reflection.
CHAPTER 5-A
A lens is a transparent refracting medium bounded by either two spherical surfaces or one
surface spherical and the other surface plane.
A concave lens is a lens which is thick at the middle and thin at the edges or periphery.
A convex lens is a lens which is thin at the middle and thin at the edges or periphery.
The centre of the sphere whose part is the lens surface, is called the centre of curvature of
the lens.
The radius of the sphere whose part is the lens surface, is called the radius of curvature of
that surface.
Principal axis is the line joining the centre of curvature of the two surfaces of the lens.
Optical centre is the point on the principal axis such that a ray of light passing through this
point emerges parallel to its direction of incidence.
Optical centre of a thin lens is the point on the principal axis of lens such that a ray of light
directed towards it passes undeviated through it.
For a convex lens, the first focal point is a point F1 on the principal axis of the lens such that
the rays of light coming from it, after refraction through the lens, becomes parallel to the
principal axis of the lens.
For a concave lens, first focal point is a point F1 on the principal axis of the lens such that
the incident rays of light appearing to meet at it, after refraction from the lens become
parallel to the principal axis of the lens.
For a convex lens, the second focal point is a point F2 on the principal axis of the lens such
that the rays of light incident parallel to the principal axis, after refraction from the lens, pass
through it.
For a concave lens, second focal point F2 on the principal axis of the lens such that the rays
of light incident parallel to the principal axis, after refraction from the lens, appear to be
diverging from the point.
A plane normal to the principal axis, passing through the focus, is called the focal plane.
A plane passing through the first focal plane and the normal to the principal axis of the lens,
is called the first focal plane of the lens.
A plane passing through the second focal point and normal to the principal axis of the lens,
is called second focal plane.
The distance of focus from the optical centre of the lens is called the focal length.
The distance from the optical centre O of the lens to its first focal point F1 is called the first
focal length f1 of the lens.
The distance from the optical centre O of the lens to the second focal point F2 of the lens is
called the second focal length f2 of the lens.
CHAPTER 5-B
If the rays from a point of the object after refraction through the lens actually meet at a point,
the image is said to be real.
If the rays from a point of object after refraction through the lens do not actually meet at a
point, but they appear to diverge from a point, the image is said to be virtual.
CHAPTER 5-C
The equation relating the distance of the object (u), distance of the image (v) and focal
length (f) of a