Topics: Numerical on Eye Defects Refraction through a Prism

&Dispersion, Rainbow Atmospheric refraction & Scattering of

Light.
Q1 What is the value of object distance and image distance should be taken while solving the
numerical problems based on Myopia & Hypermetropia. Mention where the object should
be kept and where the virtual image is formed.
Ans 1. For Myopic eye corrective lens :
Hear if the object is at Infinity, its virtual image is formed at Far point of myopic eye due to the
use of concave lens,
So Object distance u = - (infinity) and Image distance v = - (Far point of myopic eye).
For Hypermetropic eye corrective lens.
 Here Object distance U = -25cm near point of normal eye.
 Virtual Image is formed at the near point of hypermetropic eye Due to convex lens. (it is
different for different people .
Image distance V= - (Near point of Hypermetropic eye).
Q2. A person with a myopic eye cannot see objects beyond 1.2 m distinctly. What should be
the type of the corrective lens used to restore proper vision?
Ans 2 Given: The far point for myopic eye is 1.2m.

Focal length = -1.2 m

Q3. What is the shape and size of diameter of eyeball?

Ans3. The eyeball is approximately spherical in shape with a diameter of about 2.3 cm.
Q4. 5. A person needs a lens of power –5.5 diopters for correcting his distant vision. For
Correcting his near vision, he needs a lens of power +1.5 diopter. What is the focal
Length of the lens required for correcting (i) distant vision, and (ii) near vision?
Ans 4. i) Focal length of lens for distant vision. Given P = -5.5 D
P=1/ f , f=1 /p , f= 1/5.5 D = 10/55D = 0.1818m = - 18.18cm. Corrective lens is concave
i) Focal length of lens for near vision. Given P = +1.5 D
P=1/ f , f=1 / p , Therefore f = 1/1.5 D= 10/15 D= 0.6666m=66.66cm. Corrective lens is
convex
Q5. The far point of a myopic person is 80 cm in front of the eye. What is the nature and
Power of the lens required to correct the problem?
Ans 5 Given : Object distance u = - ∞
Image distance V = Far point distance of the myopic eye, V = – 80 cm.

f= - 80cm= 0.8 m therefore power p= 1/f = 1/ (- 0.8 m ) = 10/8 = - 1.25 D Negative

sign shows that the nature of lens is concave lens
Q6. The near point of a hypermetropia eye is 1 m. What is the power of the lens required to
Correct the defect ? Assume that the near point of the normal eye is 25 cm.
Ans6. Given: Object distance U = - 25 cm =25/100= 0.25 m.
Image distance V = near point of a hypermetropic eye= 1m
power p = 1/f = 1/v -1/u = 1/ (-1 ) - 1/ (- 0.25)
= -1/1 + 100/25
= ( -25+ 100)/ 25
P = -75/ 25 = - 3D.
Q7. Draw a neat diagram to show the refraction of light through a triangular glass prism. Label
the Parts
Ans :

Q8. Define angle of deviation?

Ans 8. The peculiar shape of the prism makes the emergent ray bend at an angle to the direction of the
incident ray. This angle is called the angle of deviation.
It is denoted OR
The angle between the incident ray (produced forward) and the emergent ray (produced
backward) is called the angle of deviation.
Q9. What is dispersion? Draw a diagram to show dispersion of white light through glass prism.
Ans 9 The splitting of white light into its component colours is called dispersion.

Q10. What is the cause for the dispersion?

Ans10. White light is made up of seven different colours. Different colours of white light have different
wavelengths. All these colours travel in air or vacuum with same speed , but their speed in any
refracting medium like prism is different, so they travel with different speed in a medium due to
this they bend through different angles with respect to the incident ray as
they pass through prism. This is the cause for dispersion.
Q11 Which colour bend least and which colour bend maximum during the dispersion. Draw the
Figure for the same.
Ans Red colour bends least because red colour has maximum wavelength (longer wave length) and
so maximum speed. So it has Least angle of deviation.
Violet colour bends maximum because it has less wavelength than red (shorter wavelength)so its
speed is less than Red colour. So it has maximum angle of deviation.
For figure draw the same figure for Qno 10.
Q12. What is spectrum of white light (visible light)?
Ans12. When a white light passes through a glass prism it splits up into its seven component colours or
band of colours Violet, Indigo ,Blue , Green , Yellow, Orange and Red (VIBGYOR).This
band of seven colours is called spectrum.
Q13 What is the cause for dispersion in terms of refractive index?
Ans The refractive index of a glass prism is different for different colors. The RI of glass for violet is
maximum so its speed is least whereas the RI of glass for red colour is minimum. So its speed is
maximum in glass prism.
Q14 Arrange the VIBGYOR colours in decreasing & increasing order of angle of deviation
Ans14 Decreasing order of angle of deviation: (VIBGYOR) Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green,
Yellow,orange and Red.
Increasing order of angle of deviation: (ROYGBIV) Red, orange, yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo
& Violet.
Q15. a) Describe the Newton‘s experiment regarding the recombination of the spectrum of
whitelight
b) Draw the figure for recombination of the spectrum of white light.
Ans 15 a) Isaac Newton was the first to use a glass prism to obtain the spectrum of sunlight. He triedto
split the colours of the spectrum of white light further by using another similar prism. However,
he could not get any more colours. He then placed a second identical prism in an inverted position
with respect to the first prism, as shown in Fig... This allowed all the colours of the spectrum to
pass through the second prism. He found a beam of white light emerging from the other side of
the second prism. This observation gave Newton the idea that the
Sunlight is made up of seven colours.
b)

Q16 What is rainbow? What are the causes for rainbow? What are the conditions required for
Rainbow? Draw a labelled diagram for rainbow.
Ans 16 A rainbow is a natural spectrum appearing in the sky after a rain shower. The water droplets act
like small prisms. They refract and disperse the incident sunlight, then reflect it internally, and
finally refract it again when it comes out of the raindrop.
Conditions for formations of rainbow.
a) A rainbow is always formed in a direction opposite to that of the Sun.
(Sun should be at the back of the observer )
b) Rain drops should be present in the atmosphere.
Note : we can see rainbow at waterfalls, water fountains and water sprinklers .
Q17 What is scattering of light?
Ans 17 Scattering of light refers to the phenomenon where light rays deviate from their original path when
they interact with a particles like dust, gas molecules, or water droplets. This deviation occurs
because the particles absorb some of the light and then re-emit it in different
Directions.
Q18 Define Tyndall effect
Ans. The phenomenon of scattering of light by the collidal particles is called tyndall effect .
Q19 Give Examples for Tyndall effect.
Ans19 a) When a fine beam of light enters a smoke or dust –filled room through a small hole
scattering of light takes palce.
b) When sunlight passes through a canopy of dense forest, tiny drops of water droplets
scatter the light.
c) The beam of headlights becomes visible due to scattering of light by dust particles.
Q20 On What factors the colour of the scattered light depends. Explain
Ans The colour of the scattered light depends on the size of the scattering particles & wavelength of
light .
a) Very fine particles scatter mainly blue light (shorter wavelength)
size of particles is smaller than the wavelength.
b) Particles of large size scatter light of longer wavelengths ( example red , orange )
c) If the size of the scattering particles is large enough then the scattered light appear
white because they scatter the all colour light almost equally. Example Cloud.
Q21 Why is the colour of the sky Blue?
Ans 21 a) The molecules of air and other fine particles in the atmosphere have size smaller than the
wavelength of visible light.
b) These are more effective in scattering light of shorter wavelengths at the blue end than
light of longer wavelengths at the red end.
c) when sunlight passes through the atmosphere, the fine particles in air scatter the blue
colour (shorter wavelengths) more strongly than red.
d) The scattered blue light enters our eyes. So the colour of the sky looks blue.
Note : The red light has a wavelength about 1.8 times greater than blue light.
Q22 a) Why does the sky appear dark instead of blue to an astronaut?
b) Why the sky does appears dark for aero plane passengers flying at high altitude?
c) To an astronaut the sky on the moon appear dark. Give reason
Ans22 a) The sky appears dark for astronaut because at such height there is no particles to
scatter the sunlight.
b) Scattering is not prominent at such heights so sky appears dark.
c) There is no atmosphere on the surface of moon due to this the scattering of sunlight does not
takes place. So to an astronaut the sky on the moon appear dark
Q23 Space is mostly vacuum, devoid of any medium. What colour does the sun appear to the
Astronauts on International space station? Give reason
Ans White , because there is no medium to disperse or scatter the light coming from the sun, so it
appears white
Q24 Why clouds appear white?
Ans The size of the Cloud particles are large enough compared to wavelength of visible light .so
All colours scattered nearly equally. So clouds appear white.
Q25 Danger signal lights are red in color. Give reason.
Ans25 Because the red light has the largest wavelength of all colours, it is the least scattered. andcan
travel longer distances through clouds, fog, dust etc., to enter our eyes effectively.
Q26 What is the range of visible light spectrum?
Ans26 The visible light spectrum is located within a wavelength range of 380 to 750 nanometers
(nm)
Red: 620–750 nm
Orange: 590–620 nm
Yellow: 570–590 nm
Green: 495–570 nm
Blue: 450–495 nm
Indigo: 425–450 nm
Violet: 380–425 nm
Q27 Why does the white light not split into different colours when it passes through a glass slab?
Ans27 The emergent ray bends at an angle to the direction of the incident ray due to the peculiar shape
of the prism. The phenomena of dispersion of sunlight into its component colours is due to the
inclined refracting surface of the glass prism. A glass slab lacks the inclined surfaceand the
required peculiar shape. Thus, white light does not split into different colours when it passes
through a glass slab.
(A glass slab whose faces are parallel can be considered as comprising two prisms of same
refractive angle. The second identical prism can be consider in an inverted position with
respect to the first prism. Due to this recombination of dispersed light takes place. And we
Can observe white light. )
Q28 What is atmospheric refraction?
Ans The refraction of light caused by the earth’s atmosphere due to gradual change in the refractive
indices of its different layers due to change in the atmospheric conditions is called
Atmospheric refraction.
Q29 Why do stars twinkle? Explain
OR
The star appears slightly higher (above) than its actual position when viewed near the
Horizon. Give reason.
Ans 29 a) The twinkling of a star is due to atmospheric refraction of starlight. The starlight, on
entering the earth’s atmosphere, undergoes refraction continuously before it reaches the
Earth. The atmospheric refraction occurs in a medium of gradually changing refractive index.
b) Since the atmosphere bends starlight towards the normal, the apparent position of the star is
slightly different from its actual position. The star appears slightly higher (above) than its actual
position when viewed near the horizon.
c) Further, this apparent position of the star is not stationary, but keeps on changing slightly,
since the physical conditions of the earth’s atmosphere are not stationary,
d) Since the stars are very distant, they approximate point-sized sources of light. As the path of
rays of light coming from the star goes on varying slightly, the apparent position of the star
fluctuates and the amount of starlight entering the eye flickers – the star sometimes appears
brighter, and at some other time, fainter, which is the twinkling effect.
Q30 Explain why the planets do not twinkle.
Ans 30 a) The planets are much closer to the earth, and are thus seen as extended sources.
b) If we consider a planet as a collection of a large number of point-sized sources of light, the
total variation in the amount of light entering our eye from all the individual point-sized sources
will average out to zero, thereby nullifying the twinkling effect.
Q31. The Sun is visible to us about 2 minutes before the actual sunrise, and about 2 minutes after
the actual sunset. Give reason and draw the figure for the same
Ans 31 a ) The Sun is visible to us about 2 minutes before the actual sunrise, and about 2 minutes after
the actual sunset because of atmospheric refraction.
b). When the sun is below the horizon the light travelling from rarer to denser medium bends
towards normal and reaches our eyes creating an impression that it is above the horizon.
c) The Sun is visible to us about 2 minutes before the actual sunrise, and about 2 minutes
after the actual sunset. As a result, the time from sunrise to sunset is increased by about 4mins.

NOTE :The apparent flattening of the Sun’s disc at sunrise and sunset is also due to
atmospheric refraction
Note : Before writing any answer read it two to three times understand it then copy the
answer in your Physics homework book .
There is no limit for learning , so keep on learning and enjoy the learning
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