Investigation of reflection and

refraction and image

formation in lenses
Reflection
Is the change in direction of a wavefront at
an interface between two different media so that the
wavefront returns into the medium from which it
originated

Reflection of light is
either specular (mirror-
like) or diffuse (retaining
the energy, but losing the
image) depending on the
nature of the interface.
Law of reflection
If the reflecting surface is very smooth, the reflection of light that
occurs is called specular or regular reflection. The laws of
reflection are as follows:

The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal to the
reflection surface at the point of the incidence lie in the same
plane.

The angle which the incident ray makes with the normal is equal
to the angle which the reflected ray makes to the same normal.

The reflected ray and the incident ray are on the opposite sides
of the normal.
Specular reflection
Forms images. Reflection from a flat surface forms a mirror image, which
appears to be reversed from left to right because we compare the image
we see to what we would see if we were rotated into the position of the
image. Specular reflection at a curved surface forms an image which
may be magnified or demagnified; curved mirrors have optical power.
Such mirrors may have surfaces that are spherical or parabolic
Diffuse reflection
When light strikes the surface
of a (non-metallic) material it
bounces off in all directions
due to multiple reflections by
the microscopic
irregularities inside the
material and by its surface, if
it is rough. Thus, an 'image' is
not formed.
There are also other types of reflection:

Retroreflection
The structure of surfaces that exhibit
retroreflection is such that light is returned in the
direction from which it came.

Multiple reflection
When light reflects off a mirror, one image
appears. Two mirrors placed exactly face to face
give the appearance of an infinite number of
images along a straight line.
Complex conjugate reflection
In this process, light bounces exactly back in the
direction from which it came due to a nonlinear optical
process. Not only the direction of the light is reversed,
but the actual wavefronts are reversed as well.
Refraction
Is the change in direction of
a wave passing from
one medium to another or from a
gradual change in the medium
Law of refraction
For light, the refractive index n of a material is more
often used than the wave phase speed v in the material.
They are, however, directly related through the speed of
light in vacuum c as
n=c/v
In optics, therefore, the law of refraction is typically
written as

n1 sin Ө1= n2 sin Ө2

Lenses
A lens is a transmissive optical device
that focuses or disperses a light
beam by means of refraction. A simple
lens consists of a single piece
of transparent material, while
a compound lens consists of several
simple lenses (elements), usually
arranged along a common axis. Lenses
are made from materials such
as glass or plastic. A lens can focus
light to form an image.
Types of lenses
If the lens is biconvex or plano-convex, a collimated beam of light
passing through the lens converges to a spot (a focus) behind the
lens. In this case, the lens is called a positive or converging lens.
If the lens is biconcave or plano-concave, a collimated beam of light
passing through the lens is diverged (spread); the lens is thus called
a negative or diverging lens. The beam, after passing through the lens,
appears to emanate from a particular point on the axis in front of the
lens. The distance from this point to the lens is also known as the focal
length, though it is negative with respect to the focal length of a
converging lens.
Image formed by lenses
Position of object Position of image Nature of image

Real, diminished,
At infinity At focus
inverted

Real, diminished and

At 2F At 2F
inverted

Real, enlarged,
Between 2F and F Beyond 2F
inverted

Refracted rays are

At F No image
parallel

On the same side as Virtual, enlarged and

Between F and lens
the object upright
Worked by:

Elvis Tollumi