Class 10Worksheet:

Light - Reflection and Refraction

Instructions: Attempt all questions. Show your working clearly for numerical problems.
Diagrams should be neat and labeled.
Part A: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) -
Choose the correct option for each question.
1. Which of the following is NOT a property of light?
a) It travels in straight lines.
b) It requires a medium for propagation.
c) It can be reflected and refracted.
d) It has both wave and particle nature.
2. A ray of light strikes a plane mirror at an angle of incidence of 30. What is the angle between
the incident ray and the reflected ray?
a) 30
b) 60
c) 90
d) 120
3. If an object is placed at the center of curvature (C) of a concave mirror, the image formed will
be:
a) Real, inverted, and diminished.
b) Real, inverted, and same size.
c) Virtual, erect, and magnified.
d) Real, inverted, and magnified.
4. The focal length of a spherical mirror is 15 cm. What is its radius of curvature?
a) 7.5 cm
b) 15 cm
c) 30 cm
d) 45 cm
5. Which of the following mirrors always forms a virtual, erect, and diminished image,
regardless of the object's position?
a) Concave mirror
b) Convex mirror
c) Plane mirror
d) Both concave and plane mirror
6. When a light ray passes from a denser medium to a rarer medium, it:
a) Bends towards the normal.
b) Bends away from the normal.
c) Does not bend at all.
d) May or may not bend depending on the angle of incidence.
7. The refractive index of water with respect to air is 1.33. What is the refractive index of air with
respect to water?
a) 1.33
b) 1/1.33
c) 0.5
 d) It cannot be determined.
8. A doctor uses a mirror to examine the teeth of a patient. Which type of mirror is most likely
used and why?
a) Plane mirror, for clear, undistorted view.
b) Convex mirror, for wide field of view.
c) Concave mirror, for magnified image of teeth.
d) Convex mirror, for erect and magnified image.
9. Which phenomenon is responsible for the twinkling of stars?
a) Reflection
b) Dispersion
c) Atmospheric refraction
d) Scattering
10. A ray of light incident normally on a plane mirror:
a) Is reflected back along the same path.
b) Is reflected at an angle of 90^\circ.
c) Passes through the mirror without deviation.
d) Is completely absorbed by the mirror.
Part B: Assertion-Reason Questions -

In the following questions, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of

Reason (R). Choose the correct option.
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
1. Assertion (A): A virtual image can be formed on a screen.
Reason (R): Virtual images are formed when reflected or refracted rays appear to diverge
from a point.
2.Assertion (A): Convex mirrors are used as rear-view mirrors in vehicles.
Reason (R): Convex mirrors have a wider field of view and form virtual, erect, and diminished
images.
3. Assertion (A): The bottom of a swimming pool appears shallower than it actually is.
Reason (R): Light from the bottom of the pool bends towards the normal when it enters the air
from water.
4. Assertion (A): The speed of light is maximum in vacuum.
Reason (R): The refractive index of vacuum is 1.
5. Assertion (A): A concave mirror can form both real and virtual images.
Reason (R): The nature of the image formed by a concave mirror depends on the position of
the object.
Part C: Long Answer Questions -
Answer the following questions in detail. Show all steps for calculations.
1. State the Laws of Reflection. Using a ray diagram, show the formation of an image by a
plane mirror. List four characteristics of the image formed by a plane mirror.
 2. Define the principal focus and center of curvature for a spherical mirror. Draw ray diagrams
to illustrate these points for both a concave and a convex mirror.
3. An object is placed 10 cm in front of a concave mirror of focal length 15 cm. Find the
position, nature, and magnification of the image. Draw a ray diagram to support your answer.
4. An object 4 cm high is placed at a distance of 30 cm from a convex mirror of focal length 15
cm. Find the position, nature, and size of the image.
5. What are the Laws of Refraction? Explain Snell's Law mathematically.
6. Define absolute and relative refractive index. The speed of light in vacuum is 3 \times 10^8
\text{ m/s}. The refractive index of glass is 1.5. Calculate the speed of light in glass.
7. Draw ray diagrams to show the image formation when an object is placed:
a) Between P and F of a concave mirror.
b) At infinity for a convex mirror.
c) At the focus of a concave mirror.
8. Explain why a stick partly immersed in water appears to be bent at the water surface. Use a
ray diagram to illustrate your explanation.
9. A light ray enters from air into water having refractive index 1.33. If the angle of refraction is
25^\circ, what is the angle of incidence? (Given \sin 25 = 0.4226)
10.Differentiate between real and virtual images. Give one example of each.
11.State two uses of a concave mirror and two uses of a convex mirror, explaining the property
that makes them suitable for each use.
12. Why do convex mirrors have a larger field of view compared to plane mirrors of the same
size?
13. Explain why a diamond sparkles more than a glass piece of the same shape and size.
14. An object is placed 20 cm from a spherical mirror. The image formed is real and magnified 3
times. What type of mirror is it and what is its focal length?
15.A fish in a pond looks at a bird flying vertically above it. If the bird is 6m above the water
surface, what is its apparent height as seen by the fish? (Refractive index of water = 4/3).
16. Draw a ray diagram to show how a parallel beam of light is reflected by a convex mirror.
Label all parts.
17. A light ray travels from medium A to medium B. The angle of incidence in medium A is
45^\circ and the angle of refraction in medium B is 30^\circ. Calculate the refractive index of
medium B with respect to medium A. (Given \sin 45^\circ = 0.707, \sin 30^\circ = 0.5)
18.Explain the phenomenon of dispersion of light. Why does a prism cause dispersion?
19.Discuss the Cartesian Sign Convention for spherical mirrors. Why is it important?
20.Define power of a lens. Why is it advantageous to wear spectacles of appropriate power?
Part D: Case Study Based Questions -
Read the following case studies carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Case Study 1: Dental Mirror
Dr. Sharma, a dentist, uses a specialized mirror to examine the teeth of his patients. This mirror
allows him to see a magnified and erect image of the patient's teeth, making it easier to spot
cavities or other dental issues.
A. What type of spherical mirror is Dr. Sharma most likely using? Justify your answer based on
the image characteristics.
 B.Where must the teeth (object) be positioned relative to this mirror to obtain the desired
image?
C.Draw a neat ray diagram to show the formation of the magnified and erect image for this
application.
D. If the mirror has a focal length of 10 cm and a tooth is placed 5 cm from the mirror, calculate
the magnification produced.
Case Study 2: Submarine Periscope
A periscope is an optical instrument that allows an observer to see objects that are not in the
direct line of sight. Submarines use periscopes to view the surface of the water while remaining
submerged. Simple periscopes use two plane mirrors arranged parallel to each other.
A. Draw a neat ray diagram to show how light travels through a simple periscope, indicating the
position of the two plane mirrors.
B. What is the angle of incidence for the light rays hitting each mirror in a typical periscope?
C. What are the characteristics of the final image formed by a periscope?
D. If one of the mirrors in the periscope breaks, will the periscope still function partially? Explain
why or why not.
Case Study 3: Mirage Formation
On a hot summer day, you might observe that distant objects, like trees or vehicles, appear to
shimmer or even seem to be reflected on the road surface, as if there's water. This optical
illusion is called a mirage.
A. Which optical phenomenon is primarily responsible for the formation of a mirage?
B. Explain why the air near the ground becomes hotter and less dense on a sunny day.
C.How does the change in air density affect the path of light rays coming from distant objects?
Use the concept of refractive index in your explanation.
D.Why do objects appear inverted in a mirage?
Case Study 4: The Fish's View
A fish is swimming in a clear pond. It looks up and sees a bird flying directly overhead. Due to
the difference in the refractive indices of water and air, the bird appears at a different height to
the fish than its actual height.
A. Does the bird appear closer or farther to the fish than it actually is? Explain your reasoning.
B. If the bird is 10 meters above the water surface, and the refractive index of water is 4/3, what
is the apparent depth of the bird as seen by the fish?
C. Draw a ray diagram illustrating how the light from the bird reaches the fish's eye, showing
the bending of light.
D. If the fish were looking at an object at the bottom of the pond, would the object appear
shallower or deeper?
Case Study 5: Solar Cookers
Solar cookers are devices that use sunlight to cook food. They typically employ a concave
mirror to concentrate sunlight onto a focal point where the cooking vessel is placed.
A. Why is a concave mirror specifically chosen for solar cookers? What property of concave
mirrors is being utilized?
B. Where should the cooking vessel be placed relative to the concave mirror for effective
cooking?
 C. Draw a ray diagram illustrating how sunlight is concentrated by a concave mirror in a solar
cooker.
D. What type of image is formed at the focal point of the concave mirror when sunlight (coming
from infinity) falls on it?