9

REFLECTION OF LIGHT

In Class VI you saw how shadows are formed.

You observed that the shape of the shadow
changes according to the position of source
of light and the position of object . You drew
shadows of some objects and you noticed that
the rays of light travel in a straight line, by the
observation of shapes of the shadows.
You came to know that when light falls
on an object it will be reflected by the surface
of that object and if that reflected light reaches
our eyes we can see that object.
In this class we try to learn more about
reflection of light.
When will you be able to see clear
images of yourself in a plane mirror?
Will you be able to see your image in a
mirror if the mirror is in front of you in a
dark room?
Let us do this (1)
Point a torch towards the mirror so that its
light falls on the mirror which you hold up as
shown in figure 1(a), and try to see your image
in the mirror.

fig. 1(a)
82

Then turn the torch towards your face as

shown in figure 1(b), and see your image in
the mirror.

fig. 1(b)
In which case is your image clear?
You will find that when light is focused
on your face you can see your image clearly in
the mirror.You also notice that when light is
focused on the mirror you find a dim image
of your face in the mirror. Why does it happen
so?
Think:
We already know that, to see any object, light
should fall on it. In daytime we are able to
see all objects which are in our room even
though sunlight does not fall directly on those
objects. How is it possible?
The multiple reflection of sunlight from
surfaces like wall, floor, ceiling etc. finally falls
on the object and gets reflected by it and
reaches us. This enables us to see the object.
Imagine that your friend sat in the middle of
the room. Estimate how many times,
reflection of sunlight should take place to
finally fall on your friend. Identify the places
from where light reflects.
Reflection of light

How light reflects after striking an object?

We need to understand about light
rays to know how light is reflected after
striking an object.
Rays of light
Let us do this (2)
Take a mirror strip and a black paper
as shown in figure 2a. Cover the mirror strip
with black paper and cut a 1 mm wide slit in
the black paper, as shown in figure 2b.

Let us observe how light (ray of light)

reflects.
Let us do this (3)
Place a blank sheet of paper on the
ground such that part of it is in the sunlight
and other part of it is in the shadow. Hold
the mirror strip with the slit facing the sun.
Let a ray of light from the slit fall on the paper.
Now take another mirror strip and place it in
the path of this light ray such that the ray
coming from first mirror falls on the second
mirror as shown in fig 3.

fig. 2(a)

fig. 2(b)
Hold the mirror strip with the slit facing the
sun as shown in figure 2c. You will see some
light coming through the slit. Let this light
fall on a sheet of paper spread on the
ground.

Fig. 3
What do you observe?
Did you see any other ray of light,
apart from the one from the mirror slit, on
the paper?
This effect of the mirror strip on the
ray of light is called reflection. The ray of
light falling on the mirror is called the incident
ray and the ray returning from it is called the
reflected ray.

Fig. 2 (c)
Light coming from such a slit or any other
small hole looks like a ray of light.
We shall use this mirror strip covered with the
slit of black paper in the following
experiments.

VII Science

Laws of reflection:
Is there any relationship between the
direction of the incident ray and the direction
of the reflected ray.
Let us do this (4)
Take a sheet of blank paper. Draw a
line segment AC across the middle. Draw
83

another straight line at right angles (90

degrees) to segment AC. The second line
should bisect segment AC at point B. We shall
call this line as Normal. See in figure 4a.

Place a mirror strip vertically on segment AC

with its reflecting surface facing the normal.
See that the back of the mirror coincides with
segment AC. Take the mirror strip with a slit
and let its light ray fall along line 4, as you did
in the earlier experiment. Now this ray is the
incident ray for the mirror . The angle between
the normal and the incident ray is called the
Angle of Incidence ( i).
Did the reflected ray fall on any of the lines
you have drawn? If yes, on which line did it
fall?

Fig. 4(a)
Draw two lines from point B on the left side
of the normal and two on the right side. The
lines should be at angles of 30 and 60
respectively from the normal. Number these
lines 1, 2, 3, 4 as shown in figure 4b.

The angle between normal and the reflected

ray is called the Angle of Reflection ( r).
Adjust the mirror strip with the slit so that its
light ray falls along line 3 and observe on which
line the reflected ray falls?
Adjust the mirror strip with the slit so that its
light ray falls along normal, then the angle of
incidence is 0o (the angle between normal and
incident ray that is also normal here, is 0o)
What happens? Where did you find the
reflected ray?

Fig. 4(b)

Record your observations in the table - 1.

TABLE - 1
S.No.

Incident ray

1.

On line - 4

2.

On line - 3

3.

On normal

84

Angle of
Incidence

Reflected Ray

Angle of
Reflection

On ..........................
On ..........................
On ..........................
Reflection of light

Do you see any relationship between the angle

of incidence and the angle of reflection? State
this relationship in the form of a rule and write
the rule here.

..
Let us verify this rule.
If the two incident rays form angles of 20
and 45 respectively with the normal, what will
be the angles formed by the reflected rays with
the normal?
Verify your answer by conducting the
experiment.
Note: observe this diagram carefully (figure
5). The ray of light from the candle is
reflected at the mirror, and bounces off at
the same angle as it come to the mirror. Our
eye does not know that the light has been
reflected. Our eye sees the object (the candle)
in the mirror, and feels that light is coming
from that candle which seems to be behind
the mirror. In this way we see an image of
the candle.

Make your own periscope

Let us do this (5)
Collect the following materials to make
your periscope:
Empty agarbatti box, two mirror
strips, scale, pencil, blade, match box, candle,
glue.
Close both ends of the agarbatti box. Draw
squares at both ends. Draw the diagonal to
these squares as shown in figure 6(a). Slit the
diagonals with a blade. The slits should equal
to the length of the mirror strips.

Fig. 6(a)
Fix the mirror strips in these slits as shown in
figure 6(b). Take care to see that these mirror
strips lie parallel to each other, with their reflecting surfaces facing each other. Fix the
mirror strips firmly to the box with a few
drops of molten wax from a burning candle.
You can also use glue or fevicol instead of
wax.

Fig. 5
We are able to see a person who is walking on
the road through a window or a door. At the
same time that person can also see us. Is it
possible to see that person while hiding
oneself?
VII Science

Fig. 6(b)

85

Cut out two windows on the narrow sides of

the box as shown in figure 6(c). The windows should open directly on the reflecting
surfaces of the mirror strips. Now your
periscope is ready.

opposite to you in the mirror kept on the floor.

B
A
C

window 1
Fig. 7
window 2

Fig. 6(c)
When you look through window 2, you will
be able to see things lying in front of window
1. If you hide behind a tree, you can easily see
what is happening on the other side of the tree
with your periscope. Observe in figure 6(d),
the girl is viewing objects outside the room
through the window while hiding herself in the
room,with the help of a periscope.

Your friends A, C are able to see images of

each other in the mirror. Why cant you see
their images?
Ask your friend B, who is in front of you to
move a feet aside from his place. What
happens? Did you see his image in the mirror?
If not, why?
Imagine a normal to the mirror. It would be
perpendicular to the mirror as well as to the
floor. Imagine an incident ray coming from
your friend B, falls on the mirror then the
reflected ray from mirror and reaches you.
Observe that the incident ray, reflected ray and
normal lie in the same plane.
Now think why the image of your friend B is
not visible to you when he moves aside. Where
should you stand to see his image? Once again
imagine the incident, reflected rays and normal
and assumed plane. What do you understand?

Fig. 6(d)
Think: why should we keep mirror strips
parallel to each other in periscope?

The incident ray, reflected ray and normal

should be in same plane, only then can you
see your friend.

Let us do this (6)

Are the incident ray coming from your friend

A, reflected ray going towards your friend C
and normal in the same plane?

Place a mirror (1ft. 1ft.) on the floor. You

and your friends A, B, C stand on four sides
of the mirror as shown in figure 7. Adjust your
places of standing, in such a way that each one
of you can see the image of the person

Now let us try to answer why the mirrors in

periscope are kept parallel to each other: In a
periscope the incident ray for the second
mirror is the reflected ray of the first mirror.
When these two mirrors are parallel to each

What happens if they are not parallel?

86

Reflection of light

other, only then the rays lie in the same plane

and can pass through the windows of the
periscope. If these mirrors make some angle
with each other, then the reflected ray of the
first mirror may not reach the second mirror
or the reflected ray of second mirror may not
pass through the window of periscope. In
both cases we cant see the object with the
periscope.
How do we get an image in a mirror?
You would have seen your image in a mirror
many times. Do you know how it is formed?
During day time the light which falls on you
gets reflected and a number of reflected light
rays from you that fall on the mirror also get
reflected back. These reflected rays reach your
eye and make you see your image. See figure
8. Thus formation of image in mirrors is due
to reflection of light rays from the mirror.

Can you see the image in the mirror though the

object is not seen by you? Look at figure 10.
Take a mirror and an object and try.

Fig. 10
Think: All of you are sitting in your
classroom, where and how would you place
a mirror to see a tree which is outside the
class?
Can all of you see that tree at a time?
If not, what will you do so that each one of
you can see the tree without changing your
seat?
Take a mirror and try.
Is there any difference between you and
your image?
Stand in front of a mirror as shown in figure
11 and observe on which side of you does
the pocket on your shirt appear, when you
look into the mirror.

Fig. 8
See the figure 9 and observe the lines. They
will explain how the image of a candle is
formed in the mirror and how you are able
to see the image of the candle in the mirror

Fig. 9
VII Science

Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Raise your right hand in front of a mirror as
shown in figure 12. Which hand of your image
appears raised?
87

To make your image to comb hair with its

right hand, what will you have to do?
What do these observations suggest?
In a mirror, right of an object appears
and left of the object
appears
Note that only sides are interchanged. This
is called lateral inversion.
Let us do this (7)
Take a drawing sheet and cut it into a few
pieces. Write an English letter in capitals on
each piece of drawing sheet. Observe the
images of the letters formed in the mirror as
shown in figure 13.

fig. 13
i)

Which of the images appear same as the

original letter?

ii)

Which of them appear reversed? Why?

Repeat above activity with Telugu/Hindi/

Urdu letters and also with numbers 1 to 9
then try to answer the above questions.
Can you spell your name as it appears in a
mirror?
Spelling of my name is ..................................
It appears in the mirror as..............................

Is the size of an object and its image same?

Let us do this (8)
Stand in front of a big mirror. Observe your
image. Step back two feet and step forward
one foot. Observe your image while you move
to and fro. What do you notice? Did your
image also move? Estimate the distance from
you to the mirror and the distance from the
mirror to the image. Is the size of your image
equal to your size? Place an object in front
of the mirror. Compare the size of the object
with its image. Is the size of the object and its
image same?
What can you say about the size of your image
when you stand in front of a small mirror and
a big mirror? Do you find any difference in
the sizes of those images?
You may notice that irrespective of the size
of mirrors, the size of image and the size of
object are equal.
Think:
Anuvugani chota adhikulamanaradu
Konchamundutella koduva kadu
Konda addamandu konchamai undada
Viswadabhi rama vinuravema
Have you heard of this poem?
Why does a mountain look tiny in the mirror?
Images are many . . . Object is one. .

Have you gone to a hair cutting saloon?

How many mirrors does the barber

generally use in a saloon?
You may notice there is one mirror in the front
and another at back of the sitting place.
Sometimes barber places a mirror behind
your head, as shown in figure 14.

Think: On the front side of ambulances, the

word AMBULANCE is written like
ECNALUBMA Why?
Fig. 14
88

Reflection of light

Why do they use more mirrors?

How many images do you see when
you sit in the chair? Why?

How to form multiple images?

Let us do this (9)

Let us do this (10): A Garden in box

Take an empty shoe box. Place two plane
mirrors along the edges. See that the pair of
mirrors are parallel to each other and their
reflecting surfaces face each other as shown in
figure 16.

Take two plain mirrors of same size and join

them with a cellophane tape as shown in figure
15. Fold the mirrors through certain angle
and place an object between them. How many
images can you see?

fig. 16

Fig. 15

Scratch the centre part of a mirror at its back

and make a hole to the wall of the box such
that it coincides with the scratched portion of
the mirror. Put some flowers in the box. Make
a few holes in the lid before closing the box
so that light enters into the box. Now look
through the hole. You can see a wonderful
and beautiful vast garden.

Count the number of images after changing

the angle between the mirrors.

Why does the small area look like a vast

garden?

What should we do to get more images?

The light which enters the box falls on the

flowers, gets reflected and travels in all
directions. The rays which fall on the mirrors
reflect back to the opposite mirror. This
process happens again and again. Due to this
multiple reflection we can see that small area
as a big garden.

Observe:
Keep the mirrors in such a way that the angle
between the mirrors is 90 degrees and
observe the images and compare them with
the object. What do you notice? Is there any
difference between those images?
Imagine the reason for that.

How can we use the property of

reflection in daily life?
Have you seen any instrument (or) toy
which works, based on reflection?

VII Science

Make your own Kaleidoscope

Let us do this (11)
Take three mirror strips of the same size. Tie
these strips with rubber bands to form a
triangular tube as shown in figure 17(a).

89

Can you explain why this happens?

Think: Have you seen these types of
patterns (those observed in kaleidoscope)
in your daily life?
Have you ever observed your image in a
rearview mirror?
fig. 17(a)
While tying the strips together, remember to
keep their reflecting surfaces facing each other
inside the tube. Cover one end of the tube
with translucent paper using a rubber band.
Cover the second end with card board sheet
and make a hole in it. So that you can look
inside it. Your kaleidoscope is ready.Now put
few small pieces of coloured glass bangles
inside the triangular tube as shown in figure
17(b).

fig. 17(b)

Look at the bangle pieces through the hole as

shown in figure 17(c).

Have you observed the mirrors at both the

sides of driver in motor vehicles like bus, car
or motorcycle? See figure 18.

Fig. 18
These are rearview mirrors. These are used
by drivers to see vehicles which are moving
behind or beside of the vehicle without turning
their heads.
Have you ever observed your image in that
mirror? How is your image in that mirror?
Let us do this (12)
Take a plane mirror. Go to a vehicle. Observe
your image in the rearview mirror and as well
as in the plane mirror. What difference do you
find?

fig. 17(c)
What do you see?
Shake the kaleidoscope and try to see through
the hole slowly rotating it. What happens?
90

You might have noticed that the image

formed by rearview mirror is smaller than the
image in a plane mirror. Why it is like that?
What is the difference between these two
mirrors? Observe their shapes and find the
difference.

Reflection of light

Have you observed reverse image of

yourself in any mirror?

Why do we call concave and convex

mirrors as spherical mirrors?

Let us do this (13)

Let us do this (14)

Try to observe your image in a stainless steel

spoon. The curved shining surfaces on either
side of a spoon acts as a mirror as shown in
figure 19.

Take a rubber ball and cut a portion of it

with knife as shown in figure 21. (Be careful.
Ask your teacher to help you in cutting the
ball).

Fig. 21

Fig. 19
How is the image on the outer portion of the
spoon?
How is the image on the inner portion of the
spoon?
When you look at the inner portion of the
spoon you find a reversed image. The inner
portion of spoon acts as concave mirror.
When you look at the outer portion of the
spoon you find small size image of you. Outer
portion of spoon acts as a convex mirror.
Have you seen the mirrors whose reflecting
surfaces look like the head of a steel spoon?
(See figure 20) The mirrors which contain
curved reflecting surface are called spherical
mirrors. They are two types.
1) Concave mirror

The inner surface of the cut piece of ball is

called concave surface and the outer surface
of it is called convex surface.
If the reflecting surface of a mirror is
concave, it is called a concave mirror see
figure 22(a).

Fig. 22(a)
If the reflecting surface is convex, then it is
called as convex mirror. See figure 22(b).

2) Convex mirror
Fig. 22(b)

Fig. 20
VII Science

Any convex or concave mirror is a part of a

sphere. Hence these mirrors are called
spherical mirrors.
91

Let us form images with Spherical mirrors

Let us do this (15)
Place the concave and convex mirrors on two
different V- stands. Put two candles of same
size in front of them as shown in figure 23.

Adjust distances between candle and mirror,

screen and mirror by moving them either
forward or backward till a clear image appear
on the screen.
Repeat the activity using a convex mirror and
plane mirror in place of concave mirror.
Images of which mirror are formed on the
screen?
The image that can be obtained on a screen is
called a Real Image. We can see this image
in the mirror too.

fig. 23
Adjust the position of candles, to form clear
images in the mirrors. Observe the sizes of
images and compare them with candle sizes.

What difference do you notice

between the image and object in a
convex mirror?

What difference do you notice

between the image and object in a
concave mirror?

Can we obtain the images formed by

mirrors on the screen?
Let us do this (16) (try this in a dark room)
Place a concave mirror on a V-stand. Place a
lighted candle in front of it. Place a thick white
paper or white drawing sheet behind the
candle. This acts as a screen. See figure 24.

Fig. 24
92

The image that cant be obtained on a screen

but can be seen only in the mirror is called a
Virtual Image.
Think: Every day we see our image in a
plane mirror. Is it a real or virtual image?
How can you decide?
Have you noticed the surface of reflection
in a torch light? Or in a head light of a
vehicle?
Observe the torch light or headlight of a
vehicle. You notice a concave mirror behind
the bulb (See figure 25). Due to this concave
surface the brightness of a small bulb is
increased.

Fig. 25
Imagine: What happens if the surface of
reflection in the torch or in a head light of a
vehicle is convex like in figure 26?

Fig. 26
Reflection of light

Dentists use mirrors to examine our teeth (See

figure 27).

Fig. 27
These mirrors used by doctor help to see a
bigger image of teeth. What type of mirrors
are they?

Reflection from a
smooth surface like that
of a mirror is called
regular reflection (see
figure 29). Clear images
are formed in case of
regular reflection.

Fig. 29

Reflection from a rough or irregular surface

is called irregular reflection or diffused
reflection (see figure 30). Images are not clear
in case of irregular reflection. In some cases
we cant find the image at all.

In our daily life while we stand in front of

windows we observe our images on the glass
of some windows but dont find images on
the glass of some other windows. Why?
Our image is clear when we stand in front of
certain types of glass as shown in figure 28(a).
Our image is not clear when we stand in front
of some other types of glass as shown in figure
28b.

Fig. 30
If the surface of the window glass is smooth,
due to the regular reflection we are able to see
our image in that glass. But if the surface of
the window glass is rough, due to the irregular
reflection we cant find our image or we find
unclear images in that glass.
Let us try this
Observe the image of the sun or a tree in
still water. Later, disturb the water by
throwing a pebble. How does the image of
the Sun or the tree appear now? Why?

Fig. 28(a)

Fig. 28(b)

Why do certain glasses form clear

images?
Why are images in some other glasses
not clear?
VII Science

Let us try this

Keep a mirror close your face and look into
it. Move the mirror backward and observe
the image. What change do you observe? Try
this activity using Convex, Concave mirrors.
In which mirror do you get an inverted image? At what distance does it happen?
93

Key words:
Incident Ray, Reflected Ray, Normal, Angle
of Incidence ( i), Angle of Reflection ( r ),
Periscope, Lateral Inversion, Kaleidoscope,
Rear view mirror, Spherical mirror, Convex
Mirror, Concave mirror, Real Image, Virtual
Image, Regular Reflection, Irregular
Reflection.
What we have learnt
1.
Light changes its direction when it is
obstr ucted by any object. This
phenomenon is called reflection.
2.
Angle of incidence is equal to an angle
of reflection. We denote angle of
incidence with i and the angle of
reflection with r.
Measure of i = measure of r.
(for a plane mirror)
3.
In the image formed by a mirror, right
of the object appears as left and left
of the object appears as right. This is
called Lateral Inversion.
4.
The distance from the object to a plane
mirror is equal to the distance of the
image from the mirror .
5.
Irrespective of size of the plane
mirror, the size of the image in the
mirror is equal to the size of the object.
6.
Any object which is far away from us
looks smaller in size. In the same way
its image in the plane mirror will also
look smaller.
7.
Plane mirror forms single image. If we
want to form multiple images two
plane mirrors need to be kept at an
angle.
8.
The number of images increases when
we reduce the angle between two
mirrors.
94

9.

In a rearview mirror (convex mirror)

we get diminished image of the object.

10.

In a mirror which is used by Dentist

(concave mirror) we get enlarged
image of the object.

11.

The image that can be obtained on a

screen is called a Real Image.

12.

The image that cant be obtained on a

screen but can be viewed in the mirror
is called a Virtual Image.

13.

Torches, headlights of vehicle have

concave mirrors behind the bulb for
reflection.

14.

Reflection from a smooth surface is

called regular reflection.
Reflection from a rough surface is
called an irregular reflection.
Improve your learning

1. Vidya made a Periscope making slits like

this as shown in the figure. Will it work or
not? Explain your answer. Try to make a
periscope like this and see whether it
works or not?

2. (i) Draw reflected

ray in the figure
given here.

(ii) Mark the position

of the image in the
figure given here by
dotted lines.

Reflection of light

3. How do you relate angle of reflection and

angle of incidence?

9. Write examples of multiple images

formed in your daily life?

What will be the angle of reflection when

angle of incidence is

10. Observe the figure and identify which

type of mirror is used? How do you
justify it?

i) 60

ii) 0

4. Imagine that your sister is viewing a

cricket match on a TV and you are viewing
the same cricket match in a mirror which
is opposite to the TV. What difference
do you notice in the match?
5. Write the mirror image of your name?
............................................. (in English)
.............................................. (in Telugu)
6. You are given the mirror image of a name.
Can you find out the actual name?

AY R U S
Place a mirror in front of this figure and
check your answer.
7. Get three mirror strips, two rubber bands,
card board sheet, translucent paper, and
broken bangle pieces and make a
Kaleidoscope.
8. Observe the following figures.

How many images would you observe in

the mirrors in the above cases? Write your
guesses.
Fig 1.
Fig. 2
Do experiments and check whether your
guesses are correct or not? Give reasons.
VII Science

11. Sai lighted a candle in his house when

power went off. His mother placed it in
front of a mirror. Sai observed something
that excited him. What change would
have excited Sai? Some questions came to
his mind. Can you guess the questions?
Write a few such questions.
12. Unexpectedly some water sprinkled on a
mirror while Madhu was shaving his face.
Did he observe any difference in his
image? If yes, explain why?
13. Imagine that all the houses in your street
have elevation with mirrors. Suppose you
and your friends are walking in the street.
Would you experience any difficulties
when you walk through that street? Predict
and explain. Is it difficult for birds to live
or fly in that street? Why?
14. Take a empty tooth paste box and two
mirror strips of required size and make a
periscope.

95

15. What is the angle between two plane

mirrors when there are five images?
16. What is the difference between convex
and concave mirrors? Draw the diagrams
of concave and convex mirrors.
17. Where do you find irregular reflection in
daily life? Give some examples.
18. Mirrors help us to see all the objects
around us without turning our heads.
How do you appreciate the role of
mirrors in our life?
19. Army people can see their enemies while
hiding themselves with the help of
periscopes. How do you appreciate the
use of periscope for their security?
20. Imagine what would happen if there are
no rearview mirrors attached to vehicles

96

and there are no concave mirrors in head

lights of the vehicles. Appreciate the role
of convex and concave mirrors in safe
driving.
21. While constructing a new house, Kishans
uncle rejected his wifes request of glass
elevation to the building, saying that It
is harmful to the birds and also our
selves. How do you appreciate the
decision of Kishans uncle?
22. Collect information from your elders and
shopkeepers about where we use more
mirrors and why?
23. Collect information about which objects
of your school and home work like a
mirror and why? Identify the similarities
among those objects.

Reflection of light