Sunbeams streaming through the clouds suggest that light

travels in straight lines. The direction of the path in which

light is travelling is called a ray and is represented in
diagrams by a straight line with an arrow on it. A beam is a
stream of light and is shown by a number of rays; it may be
parallel, diverging (spreading out) or converging (getting
narrower).
TRANSPARENT, TRANSLUSCENT, OPAQUE SUBSTANCES
SHADOWS
UMBRA AND
PENUMBRA

The region of deep, total shadow is called the UMBRA

and the region of partial shadow is called the
PENUMBRA. The umbra is a region where no light can
get to while the penumbra is a region where some light
can reach.
REFLECTION OF
LIGHT
 REFLECTION ON PLANE
MIRRORS

The image in a plane mirror seems to be somewhere in

space behind the mirror, this type of image is called a
virtual image. It is actually the same distance from the
mirror as the object is in front of the mirror.

The image in a plane mirror also looks as though it is

reversed from left to right. This property is called LATERAL
INVERSION.
 RULES TO DRAW RAY DIAGRAMS

A ray parallel to the principal axis reflects

through (or from in convex mirrors) the
principal focus F.

A ray through the center of curvature C which

hits the mirror normally, is reflected back along
its own path (the radius of a sphere is
perpendicular to the surface where it meets the
surface)

A ray through the principal focus F is reflected

parallel to the principal axis.
 OBJECT BEYOND THE CENTRE OF CURVATURE

NATURE: REAL, INVERTED AND DIMINISHED

OBJECT AT CENTRE OF CURVATURE
OBJECT BETWEEN C AND F
OBJECT AT THE FOCAL
OBJECT BETWEEN F AND POLE
CONVEX LENS AND CONCAVE LENS
Ray diagrams for convex lens
OBJECT AT FOCAL
OBJECT AT 2F
 CONCAVE LENS

Image is always virtual, upright, and diminished

REFRACTION OF LIGHT
BENDING OF LIGHT RAYS
LAW OF REFRACTION
TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION
 MIRAGE

Mirageshappen when the ground is very hot and the

air is cool. The hot ground warms a layer of air just
above the ground. When the light moves through the
cold air and into the layer of hot air it is refracted
(bent). A layer of very warm air near the ground
refracts the light from the sky nearly into a U-shaped
bend.