Refraction of Light at Plane Surfaces Quiz - ICSE Class 10 Physics
Free practice quiz: Refraction of Light at Plane Surfaces (ICSE Class 10 Physics). 50 multiple-choice questions with answers and explanations. Play online, no sign-up needed.
Play all 50 questions freeSample questions
When light travels from a rarer medium to a denser medium, it bends:
- away from the normal
- towards the normal
- parallel to the normal
- It does not bend
Show answer
Answer: B. towards the normal
According to Snell's Law, when light enters a denser medium (higher refractive index), its speed decreases, causing it to bend towards the normal.
The phenomenon of twinkling of stars is due to:
- Reflection of light by atmospheric particles
- Refraction of light by atmospheric layers of varying densities
- Scattering of light by atmospheric particles
- Dispersion of light by atmospheric water droplets
Show answer
Answer: B. Refraction of light by atmospheric layers of varying densities
As starlight passes through Earth's atmosphere, it encounters layers of air with different temperatures and densities. This causes the light to be refracted (bent) repeatedly. The continuous changes in the path of light due to these variations in refractive index lead to the apparent fluctuation in the brightness of stars, which we perceive as twinkling.
A ray of light enters a prism from air. If it is incident normally on one face, it:
- bends towards the normal
- bends away from the normal
- travels undeviated
- undergoes total internal reflection
Show answer
Answer: C. travels undeviated
When a ray of light is incident normally on a surface (angle of incidence = 0 degrees), it passes through without deviation, regardless of the refractive index of the medium it enters. This is because sin(0) = 0, so sin(r) must also be 0, meaning r = 0.
When light travels from water to air, the angle of incidence is 30 degrees. The refractive index of water is 4/3. The angle of refraction will be:
- less than 30 degrees
- equal to 30 degrees
- greater than 30 degrees
- such that total internal reflection occurs
Show answer
Answer: C. greater than 30 degrees
Light travels from water (denser) to air (rarer). In this case, the light bends away from the normal. Therefore, the angle of refraction will be greater than the angle of incidence.
When light passes from air to a rarer medium, it bends:
- towards the normal
- away from the normal
- parallel to the normal
- It does not bend
Show answer
Answer: B. away from the normal
When light enters a rarer medium (lower refractive index), its speed increases. This causes the light ray to bend away from the normal.