RAY AND WAVE OPTICS FORMULA

Formulas and definition

gneet study
PLANE MIRROR

1) Angle of incidence (i) = Angle of reflection(r)

When two mirrors are kept facing each other at an
angle θ (in degree) and an object is placed in
between them, multiple images of the object are
formed as a result of multiple successive reflection

( )

But if object is placed on the angle bisector then

number of images n-1
If “n” is in fraction then round off to nearest integer.
2) If the plane mirror is rotated in the plane of
incidence by an angle θ, then the reflected ray
rotates by an angle of 2θ, the normal rotates by an
angle of θ while incident ray remains fixed.
3) Minimum size of the mirror required to see full size
image of oneself Least size of the mirror required is
half the height of the observer.
4) Minimum size of the plane mirror fixed on the wall
of a room in which an observer at the centre of the
room can see the full image of the wall behind him

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 The least size of the mirror required is one-third the
height of the wall
5) Deviation produced on one reflection
δ = ( 180 - 2i)
Also δ = 2θ; where θ is the glancing angle i.e. the
angle made between the incident ray and the surface
of the plane mirror

SPHERICAL MIRROR
(i) Conjugate distance
u = object distance, v = image distance, f = focal
length

(ii) R = radius of curvature then focal length f f= R/2

(iii) Newton's formula for concave mirror x1 is the
object distance from the focus and x2 is image
distance from focus f = x1x2
Linear magnification m = v/u

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 (iv) A real magnification

REFRACTION OF LIGHT

1) Snell's law

i angle of incidence, r angle of refraction

constant is known as refractive index of medium
2) if v1 velocity of light in medium one and v2 is the
velocity of light in medium two then
Light is entering in medium two from medium one

3) If n1 is refractive index of medium one and n2 is the

refractive index of medium two then

Note when light passes from one transparent

medium to another transparent medium its
frequency do not change
Refractive index of medium two with respect to
medium one is denoted by n21

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 4) Virtual height /depth when object and observer are
in two different medium
hi is apparent depth of image,
n1 is refractive index of observer's medium
ho is actual depth of object
n2 is refractive index of object medium

Special case
If a beaker is filled with immiscible liquids of
refractive index n1 , n2 ,n3 ,etc.
filled up to heights d1, d2 , d3 ...etc
Then apparent depth is :

LATERAL SHIFT ,

Rectangular slab

[ ]

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TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION

For total internal reflection to take place, necessary

conditions are;

(i) The ray should travel from denser medium to rarer

medium

(ii) The angle of incidence should be more than critical

angle

nr = refractive index of rarer medium and

nd = refractive index of denser medium

C= critical angle

Critical angle increases with increase in temperature

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CASE: FIELD OF VISION OF FISH

h = depth of fish in water

r = radius of circular path observed by fish

n = refractive index of water Then

Note: (i) The radius of circular patch depends on the depth

of the observer

(ii) The angular size of the cone depends only on the critical
angle and is

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independent of the depth of the observer

(iii) For water, the vertex angle of the cone is 97.2°

PRISM

i) Angle of deviation δ = (i1+i2) – (r1 – r2)

ii) Condition for angle of minimum deviation i1 =
i2 = i and r1 = r2 = r

δm = 2i - 2r and r = A/2

iii) Refractive index of prism material

( )

( )

For small prism ( having angle A ≈ 8° to 10°)

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 δm = ( n-1)A

Refractive index for red light nR

Refractive index for red light nV

Note : since nR < nV

∴ δR < δV

iv) Grazing incidence and Grazing Emergence

If a light ray is incident on a prism PQR along

OP , i.e. grazing along face PQ,
then it emerges out of the prism in a direction
RS i.e grazing along QR. Thus i =
e = 90°
from grazing incidence and grazing emergence
A = 2C
Thus for obtaining an emergent ray from prism
A ≤ 2C
C = Critical angle

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 v) Maximum deviation by prism

δmax = (90 –C) + (e – r)

vi) Angle of dispersion The difference in angles of

deviation of any two rays is called the angle of
dispersion for those rays. e,g for violet and red
colours, the angle of dispersion is
ΘW = δV – δR = (nV – nR ) A
Here A is angle of prism

REFRACTION AT SPHERICAL SURFACES

1) Formula for refraction at convex spherical surface

If n1 and n2 are the refractive induces of first and
second medium with respect to air, if object is in
first medium and image is in second medium,

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 Power of refracting surface

2) Lens formula

3) Lens makers formula

( )( )

n2 is refractive index of lens material with respect to

air
n1 is refractive index of surrounding medium with
respect to air
4) Behavior of lens in medium other than air If lens is
put in a medium other than air, then three situations
arises:
(i) If lens is immersed in a medium having
refractive index less than that of lens but
more than air, then the nature of the lens
does not changes, only its focal length
increases and power decreases (ii) If the

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 lens is immersed in a medium having
refractive index more than that of lens, then
the nature of the lens changes i.e. convex
behaves as concave and vice-versa. the
focal length may increase, decrease or even
remains same.
(ii) If the lens is immersed in a medium having
refractive index equal to that of lens then
(a) lens becomes invisible (b) The lens
behaves as a plane glass plate (c) The focal
length becomes infinite.
5) Power of lens
P = 1/f; Here f is focal length in meters,
Unit of power of lens is diopter
6) Combination of lenses
When two or more lenses of focal length f1 , f2, f3...
are placed in contact with each other then focal
length of combination.

Power of lens is
P = P1 + P2 + P3 + ....
If two thin lenses of focal length f1 and f2 are
separated by a distance 'x' then
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 the effective focal length of the combination will
become

P = P1 + P2 – xP1P2
7) If convex surface of the plano-convex lens is
silvered then

( ) ( )

TELESCOPES ASTRONOMICAL

1) Magnifying power

General formula

fo is focal length of objective and

ue is object distance for eye piece

2) The final image is formed at the least distance of

distinct vision

( )

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 In this position the length of the telescope is
maximum and is given by L = fo + fe
Length of the telescope become
L = fo + 4f + ue
3) When final image is at infinity

Maximum length of telescope is

L = fo + fe + 4f
4) Reflecting Telescope

MICROSCOPE

1) Simple microscope (Lens) Magnification

( )

2) Compound microscope
(i) The final image is formed at the least distance of
distinct vision.

( )

Length of microscope L = vo + ue
(ii) When final image is at infinity

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 ( )

(iii) The magnifying power of reflecting telescope is 'm'

= R ( Radius ofcurvature of mirror)

Resolving power of optical instruments

(i) Resolving power of human eye = 1'

(ii) Limit of resolution of telescope

Here a = radius of objective lens

λ = wave length of radiation coming from star

(iii)If a person can see up to a distance 'x' and wants to see

the object placed at distance 'y' then the focal length of a
suitable lens is

WAVE OPTICS

1) If wave equation is y = A sin(ωt + ϕ) then intensity

is I = A2

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 2) Young’s double slit experiment
(i) Relation between phase difference & path
difference

δ is phase difference and

Δx is path difference, λ is wave length
(ii) Fringe width

D is the distance between the slits & the screen

d is the distance between the two slits .
(iii) Constructive interference:
Phase difference : δ = 2πn
Path difference: ∆x =nλ
nth bright fringe we have position xn

putting n = 0, 1, 2, ... we get the position of

zero order, first order, second order,.... bright
fringe
(iv) Destructive interference:
Phase difference

( )

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 Path difference

( )

( )

n = 1, 2, 3, ... we can find out position of first,

second, third ... dark fringe
(v) Shift of fringes by introduction of a thin
lamina. When a thin sheet of any transparent
material of thickness t, having refractive index
µ is placed in the path of one of the two
interfering rays then the fringe pattern shifts
towards that ray, in the path of which the sheet
is placed. the shift of the fringes is
independent of the order of fringe and depends
only on the wavelength, refractive index,
thickness of plate and distance between the
source and screen
ω = fringe width

( )

( )

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DIFFRACTION DUE TO SINGLE SLIT:

1) Angular spread of the central maxima =2λ/d

2) Width of the central maxima =2λD/d
where D is the distance of the slit from the screen d
is the slit width
Condition for the minima on the either side of the
central maxima:
d sinθ = nλ , where n = 1,2,3,….
3) Intensity of the light due to polarization:
I = Iocos2  where I is the intensity of light after
polarization Io is the original intensity  is the angle
between the axis of the analyzer & the polarizer
4) Brewster’s Law:
n = tanθp where θp is the polarizing angle, that is, the
angle of incidence at which the angle of refraction in
the second medium is right angle

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