How we see

• Vision happens when a ray of light enters an eye

• Without a source of light, there can be no vision at
all
• Rays of light travel in straight lines

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Luminous and illuminated objects

• Objects that create light are called luminous objects.

Examples include the sun, a candle, a light bulb
• Other objects do not create light but instead are
illuminated by other light sources
• (Draw a ray diagram showing how a candle allows
you to see your hand in a dark room.)

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Each point on an object emits or reflects light rays in every
direction

This is NOT the way it works Each point sends light rays in
every direction

How does the shadow of the

ball appear?
How does this support the
correct idea?

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An experiment that shows how each point sends light rays in all
directions

What do you see when you perform the experiment

below? Why does this happen?

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Remember the basics about angles

• You need a corner between two lines to have an angle

• An angle is measured at the corner where two lines
meet
• When two lines form an angle of 90° they are said to
be perpendicular or normal to each other.

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Circle facts

If point O is the center and

point A is on the circle: C
B
• Line CD is tangent to the
circle at point A A

• Line OB is normal to the

circle at point A D
O

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Reflection from a smooth surface

• AO is the incident beam

B
• OB is the reflected beam
Reflected
• OC is the normal, an Beam
C
imaginary line drawn 90°
from the surface at the
point of reflection
Sm
Law of reflection: oo
th A
su
• ∠AOC = ∠BOC rfa Incident
ce O
,i Beam
.e.
• Angle of incidence = angle M
irr
or
of reflection
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Reflection from a smooth surface

If a surface is smooth at the

microscopic level, like a
mirror, the normal lines at
different locations are Incident rays
parallel to each other.
Thus, parallel incident rays
are reflected at the same
angle.
Mirror
This type of reflection is
called specular reflection.

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Reflection from an irregular surface

Ordinary surfaces are rough and

bumpy at the microscopic level,
and the normal lines point in all
different directions. Thus, Incident rays
parallel incident rays will be
reflected in all directions.
A beam of light will be reflected
diffusely in all directions, so
this is called diffuse reflection.

Ordinary surface

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Refraction

When light travels from one medium into

another medium (like going from air
into water) its path changes when it
crosses the surface. This is called
refraction.
air something else air
A normal line is imagined, perpendicular
to the surface between the two media,
at the point the light ray crosses.
Going from air into something else, the
ray crosses the normal line and bends
towards the normal in the other
medium.
Going from something else into air, the
ray crosses the normal line again and
bends away from the normal.

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Seeing an image

The direction of the light ray

that reaches your eye
determines where you see
the image
In this example, two
observers would agree that
the image of the candle
flame is behind the mirror

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Reflection from a concave mirror

• Reflections from a curved

mirror also obey the law of
reflection incident beam
• The normal to a circular
shape always goes through Norm
the center O of the circle al

reflected beam

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Definition of the focal point

Light rays that are incident

parallel to the main axis
will be reflected through
the mirror's focal point
The focal point is halfway
between the center O and main axis
O
the surface of the mirror focal point center

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Rays through the focal point

Reflection works the same

way in reverse:
Rays that pass through the
focal point will be reflected
parallel to the main axis
main axis
O
focal point center

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Other easy rays to reflect from a concave mirror

Any ray that passes through

the center will be reflected
straight back
• Can you explain why?

O
center

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Locating an image on a concave mirror

To find the image of a small

object, draw some easy
rays from the object and
see how they are reflected
small object
The image is located at the
place where observers
O
would see the reflected f

rays diverging from image location

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Which is NOT a condition required for you to see object X?

1. A light ray must reach your eye The best answer is 2. You can
from object X
also see an object that
2. Object X must emit light rays
only reflects light rays
3. There must be an uninterrupted
straight line between your eye and
object X
4. All of the above are required for
you to see object X
5. More than one of the above are
NOT required

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If Tim is standing outside in the bright sun, why is his shadow
not completely black?

1. Light rays bend around The best answer is 4. Light

Tim rays are reflected from
2. The sun is larger than Tim other objects and
3. The grass in Tim's illuminate the area in
shadow holds light from Tim's shadow
the sun
4. Other objects are
reflecting light
5. The sun is the only
luminous object in this
situation
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Which term does not belong with the others?

1. Perpendicular The best answer is 2. All the

other words are about 90°
2. Tangent
angles
3. Normal
4. At right angles
5. 90°

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A laser beam is aimed at the top of a tank of water. The beam
makes an angle of 60° with the surface of the water. What is the
incident angle of the beam on the water?
1. 60° Make a sketch and remember
the definition of "angle of
2. 90°
incidence". The answer is
3. 30° 3.
4. 0° beam
normal
5. There is not enough
information to say 30°

60°
water

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Which of these statements is TRUE about a surface that exhibits
specular reflection?

1. All reflected light rays are The best answer is 2.

parallel, no matter where they
come from
2. Normal lines are parallel at all
points on the surface
3. The light ray bends toward the
normal when it reflects
4. Normal lines point in different
directions from the surface
5. More than one of these is true

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Which of these statements is TRUE about a flat surface that
exhibits DIFFUSE reflection?

1. Parallel incident rays will Both 2 and 4 and correct, so 5

produce parallel reflected rays is the best choice
2. An incident beam of light will
be reflected in all directions
3. The incident angle of each ray
is not equal to the reflected
angle
4. Even if the surface looks rough
to the naked eye, it is perfectly
smooth at the microscopic
level
5. More than one of these is true

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Which is a good explanation for why you can’t normally see a
laser beam from the side in midair?

1. A laser beam is made of many Some of these are true

light rays, and light rays statements, but none of
always go straight
them are good
2. You need light in order to see,
but there is no light in the explanations of why you
middle of the beam can't see the beam in
3. A laser beam is a special kind midair.
of light that goes in only one
direction
4. If there was chalk dust in the
air, you could see the laser
beam
5. None of these is a good
explanation
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