Light: Reflection and Multiple Images
Explore the fundamental property of light—**reflection**—using virtual measurements. Then, investigate how multiple images are formed when mirrors are inclined, as used in a **Kaleidoscope**.
Key Concepts and Formulas
▼The **angle of incidence** ($$\angle i$$) is always equal to the **angle of reflection** ($$\angle r$$). Both the incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal lie in the same plane.
When two mirrors are kept at an angle ($\theta$), the number of images ($N$) formed is given by the formula (if $$ \frac{360}{\theta} $$ is an even integer): $$ N = \frac{360}{\theta} - 1 $$
The **eye** functions like a camera, using a **lens** (convex) to focus light onto the **retina**. This process is crucial for our perception of light.
Experiment 1: Verification of the Law of Reflection
Simulate measuring the angle of incidence ($$\angle i$$) and observe the resulting angle of reflection ($$\angle r$$).
Experiment 2: Kaleidoscope Image Calculation Challenge
Given the angle between two mirrors ($\theta$), calculate the **number of images ($N$)** formed.
The Kaleidoscope works on the principle of **multiple reflections**. Two or three mirrors are inclined at specific angles ($60^\circ$, $45^\circ$, or $30^\circ$) to produce beautiful, symmetric patterns from objects placed inside due to repeated reflections.
Human Eye Structure and Function
The **Cornea** is the transparent front layer. The **Iris** controls the size of the **Pupil** (the aperture). The **Lens** focuses light onto the **Retina**, where light-sensitive cells convert light energy into electrical signals sent to the brain.
Though not directly in the activity, light also exhibits **dispersion** (splitting of white light into its component colors like VIBGYOR), which is essential to understanding the colors we see.
A key property of plane mirror reflection is **lateral inversion**, where the left and right sides of the image are interchanged.
