REFLECTION AT PLANE SURFACES

Total No.of questions in Reflection at Plane Surfaces are -

In Chapter Examples.............................................................. 04
Solved Examples ................................................................... 05

Total No. of questions .......................................................... 09

1. DEFINITION A. Point at which reflected or refracted rays
actually converge is called real image.
When a light ray strikes the surface separating Or point from which reflected or refracted
two media, a part of it gets reflected, i.e., returns rays appear to diverge is called virtual
back in the initial medium. It is known as image.
reflection. B. Minimum two reflected or refracted rays
are required to determine the image
2. TERMS RELATED TO REFLECTION
position.
2.1 RAY : 3. BASIC LAWS
A ray of light is the straight line path of
transfer of light energy. It is represented by 3.1. Law Of Rectilinear Propagation Of Light
a straight line with an arrow - head indicating states that light propagates in straight lines
the direction of propagation. in homogeneous media.
3.2. Law Of Independence Of Light Rays
2.2 MIRROR : states that rays do not disturb each other
It is a highly polished upon intersection.
smooth surface from Smooth side 3.3. Law Of Reversibility Of Light Rays states
which most of the that rays retrace their path when their
incident light gets direction is reversed.
reflected. It is represented by a line with 3.4. Laws Of Reflection :
hatches in the reverse side of the smooth N
I R
surface.
2.3 OBJECT :
i r

Virtual O
object A. The incident - ray, reflected ray and
normal to the reflecting surface at the
Real point of incidence all lie in the same
object plane.
B. The angle of reflection is equal to the
angle of incidence, i.e. i = r .
A. Point from which incident ray actually
diverge is called real object. Or point at Note :
which incident rays appear to converge 1. These two laws are also valid for curved
is called virtual object. surfaces.
B. object is defined on the basis of incident
ray.
C. Minimum two rays are required to show
the position of object
2.4 IMAGE :
2. If i = 0 then r = 0 , i.e., if a ray is
Virtual incident normally on a boundary, after
Image reflection it retraces its path.
Real 3. None of frequency, wavelength and speed
Image changes. However intensity and hence
amplitude usually decreases since I  A2
4. There is a phase change of  if reflection
takes place from denser medium.
Examples
based on Laws of reflection
Ex.1 The plane of a mirror makes an angle of 30º
with horizontal. If a vertical ray is incident on
a mirror, then what is the angle between
mirror and reflected ray ?
Sol. Angle betwen incident ray and mirror
4.5. As every part of mirror forms complete image
= 90º  30º = 60º
of an extended object and due to
superposition of images brightness will
60º depend on the light reflecting area of the
30º mirror. [It can be explained by Haygen's
60º principle.]
4.6. Though every part of a mirror forms complete
image of an object , we usually see only that
By law of reflection i = r
part of image from which light after reflection
So angle of reflection r = 30º, Hence angle from the mirror reaches our eye.
between mirror and reflected ray = 60º
4.7. Deviation  is defined as the angle between
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF REFLECTION AT directions of incident ray and emergent ray.
PLANE MIRROR So if light is incident at an angle of incidence
i,  =  – ( i + r ) =  –2i
4.1. The image is always of same size and at
4.8. If keeping the incident ray fixed, the mirror is
same distance behind the mirror as the object
rotated by an angle  about an axis in the
in front of it.
plane of mirror , The reflected ray is rotated
through an angle 2
M'
I' O' N N'
I R
I M
O  R'
2
4.2. When the object is real virtual image is 
 M
formed and vice - versa. O
M'
4.3. The image is always erect when the object
4.9 Most of the smooth surfaces works as a good
is in front of the mirror but inverted when the
reflector when light falls at grazing incidence
object is above the mirror.
( i  900 )
4.10 From smooth reflecting surface we get parallel
beams of light which produces glare. However
from rough surface we get diffused radiation.
4.11 If object moves towards the plane mirror at
speed v, the image moves towards the plane
4.4. The image is laterally inverted. The mirror mirror at speed – v. So , the image speed
actually reverses front and back in three w.r.t object is – v – v = – 2v
dimensions (and not left to right ) i.e. only 4.12 If mirror is moved towards ( or away from) the
x-direction is reversed resulting in the change object with speed v the image will move
of left into right or vice - versa. A plane mirror towards ( or away from ) the object with a
changes right handed co-ordinate system to speed 2v.
left handed one.
Examples
Characteristics of reflection at 5. IMAGES FROMED BY TWO MIRRORS
based on plane mirror
5.1 When two plane mirrors are inclined at an
angle  and an object is placed in between
Ex2. Find the minimum height of a mirror where them due to multiple reflection more than one
one can see his full image. images are formed. This number of image n
Sol. is either
I2
I3

O


I1

I4
Let HL is the height of the person and E is 360 º  360º 
or   1
the positsion of his eyes. Now applying laws    
1 360 º
of reflection, we have, M´ L´ = EL accordingly as is odd or ev en
2 
respectively.
1
and MH´ = HE 360 º
2 Again if is odd and the object is

Now, H´ L´ = MM´ – MH´ – L´ M´ place symmetrically between two mirrors,
1 1 then final two images coincide and there by
= HL – EL – HE  360º 
2 2 leaving   1 images.
  
1
= HL – HL
2
1 n = 360º/ Position Number Of
= HL Of Object Images
2
So the required height of the mirror be half of even anywhere n – 1
the height of the person. odd symmetric n – 1
assymetric n

5.2. No. of images for some specific angles :

No.      in degrees n = 360º/ No. of images formed when the object is placed
symmetrically Assymmetrically
1. 0   
2. 300 12 11 11
3. 45 8 7 7
4. 60 6 5 5
5. 72 5 4 5
6. 90 4 3 3
7. 120 3 2 3
Note : Examples
Images formed by two mirrors
based on
1. If an object is placed between two parallel
mirrors,  = 00, the number of images Ex.3 Find the number of images formed by two
formed is  but of decreasing intensity in mutually perpendicular mirrors
M2
accordance with I  (1/r2)
2. All the images lie on a circle whose radius is
I2 O
equal to the distance between object O and
the point of intersection of mirrors C.

• c• M1
I2
•I •
3 •O I3 I1

c
•
I1 360 360
I Sol. Here, n = = = 4
•4  90
 n is an even number.
3. If is given, n is unique but if n is given,  is Thus, number of images formed = n – 1 = 3.
not unique. Since All these three images lie on a circle with
same number of images can be formed for centre at C (The point of intersection of
different  mirrors M1 and M2 ) and whose radius is
equal to the distance between C and object.
  The number of images seen may be different
Ex.4 Find the angles between two plane mirrors
from number of images formed and depends
producing five images of a given object.
on the position of the observer relative to
Sol. Here, [n] = 5 n – 1  5  n
object and mirrors.
360 360
 – 1  5 
 

360 360
or,    or 
6 5
 600    720
 SOLVED EXAMPLE
Ex1. Find the minimum height of a mirror required M2
to see the complete wall behind him. 
B
 C
  N2
N1 X
i
 90º-i i
O A M1

Sol. The situation is illustrated in figure. XA is the

incident ray. BC is the final reflected ray. It is
given that BC is parallel to mirror M1. Look at
Sol. From,  A A´ M &  ME E´ we have the assignment of the angles carefully. Now
A' M ME ' N2 is normal to mirror M2. Therefore
=  A´ M = 2 ME'
2d d  =
Again From,  EE´ M´ &  M´ B´ B Then from  OAB
we have.  +  + 90º  i = 180º
or  +  + 90º  i = 180º
E' M' M' B'
=  M' B' = 2 E´ M´ or i = 2  90º
d 2d
Thus if the angle of incidence is i = 2  90º,
Now, M M´ = A´ B´ – A´ M – M´ B´ then the final reflected ray will be parallel to
= AB – 2 (ME´ + E´ M´ ) the first mirror.
= AB – 2 M M´
Ex.4 Two plane mirrors are inclined at an angle of
1 30º. Then the first four images of an object O
 M M´ = 3 AB placed between the two mirrors are correctly
Thus , minimum height of the mirror be 1/3 of represented by
the wall and the person must be in the middle
of the mirror and the wall.
M1
Ex2. Two mirrors are inclined at an angle of 50º. I1
Then what is the number of images formed for I4
an object placed in between the mirrors ? O
Sol. For the given  = 50º, (A) M2

360 360
n = = I3 I2
 50
= 7.2
The integer value of (7.2) is 7. Thus number of I4 M1
images formed is 7. I1

Ex.3 Two plane mirrors are inclined at an angle .

A ray of light is incident on one mirror at an O
angle of incidence i. The ray is reflected from (B) M2
this mirror, falls on the second mirror from
where it is reflected parallel to the first mirror. I3
I2
What is the value of i, the angle of incidence
in terms of  ?
 I3 M1 Ex.5 Two plane mirrors are placed at an angle  so
that a ray parallel to one mirror gets reflected
I1 parallel to the second mirror after two con-
secutive reflections. The value of  will be
O (A) 30º (B) 60º
(C) M2 (C) 75º (D) 90º
I2
I4 Sol. As shown in figure, ray AB goes to mirror M1,
I1 I3 M1 gets reflected and travels along BC and then
gets reflected by M2 and goes in CD direc-
tion. If the angle between M1 and M2 be ,
then
O M1
(D) M2
E

B A
I2 I4  D

Sol. The image of object O from mirrror M1 is I1   

O M2
and the image of I1 (the vitual object) from C
mirror M2 is I3. The image of object O from In  OBC , OBC and OCB are equal to

mirror M2 is I2 and the image of I2 (the virtual
 3 = 180º
object) from mirror M1 is I4. Notice that this
 = 60º
interpretation, according to ray diagram rules,
is valid only for Fig. (A). All others are Hence correct answer is (B).
inconsistent. Hence correct is (A)