• Light energy is a kind of kinetic energy with the ability to make types

of light visible to human eyes. Light is defined as a form of

electromagnetic radiation emitted by hot objects like lasers, bulbs,
and the sun. Light travels in the form of a wave.
 Luminous and Non Luminous
Objects that emit light on their own are called luminous objects. Best examples of
luminous objects are the sun, stars, light bulb etc. Objects that do not reflect light are
known as non luminous objects. Examples of non luminous objects are wood, plastics,
metals etc. Luminous objects are also known as light sources while non-luminous
objects are known as reflectors of light.

A picture showing the moon reflecting rays of the sun

towards the earth
 Luminous
objects/Source
s of Light
Did you Know:
Our main source of light is the sun.
There are 2 types of light sources
natural and man-made sources of
light. Example of natural light
sources are sun and fire while Light
example of manmade light sources Torch Fire
are torch light and street lights. Light Sources

Sun

Light Bulb
Moon Mirror Gold Bar Key

Non-Luminous
Objects/Reflector
s of Light
 Shadows
Shadows are formed when light is partially or completely blocked.
Opaque and translucent objects can form shadows. Transparent
objects don’t make shadows as they don’t block light.
Opaque objects: Opaque objects are objects that aren't
transparent or translucent, so no light passes through them and
you can't see through them. An example of a transparent object
would be a window pane. An example of a translucent object
would be a shower door.
Translucent objects: Translucent objects allow light, to pass
through them partially. Some examples for translucent objects are:
Butter paper, ground glass, thin sheets of plastic etc.
Transparent objects: Transparent objects allow light to pass
through them. Examples of transparent objects are: Air, glass,
pure water, some plastics etc. Opaque objects do not allow light to
pass through them.
 Law of Reflection
• The law of reflection states that the incident ray, the reflected ray,
and the normal to the surface of the mirror all lie in the same
plane. Furthermore, the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of
incidence . This type of reflection is called diffuse reflection, and is
what enables us to see non-shiny objects. Paper and other non-
shiny objects make light spread out.
Reflected
Ray

A diagram showing law of

reflection

Incident Ray