NEET Physics: Reflection and refraction Practice Questions
14 free multiple-choice questions on Reflection and refraction (Optics) for NEET Physics, each with the correct answer and a step-by-step explanation. Attempt a question, then reveal the solution to check your reasoning.
Practice thousands more NEET questions in the app →Q1. The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. This law is based on which fundamental property of light interaction with a surface?
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Correct answer: A — Conservation of energy
The law of reflection (angle of incidence = angle of reflection) is a direct consequence of the principle that reflection conserves the energy of the incident light, which is governed by the relationship between the incident and reflected rays.
Q2. Total Internal Reflection occurs when light attempts to travel from a medium of higher refractive index to a medium of lower refractive index at an angle greater than what angle?
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Correct answer: B — 90°
Total Internal Reflection occurs when the angle of incidence exceeds the critical angle, which is the specific angle beyond which the refracted ray does not exist.
Q3. Light travels from a medium of lower optical density into a medium of higher optical density. What phenomenon occurs at the boundary surface?
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Correct answer: B — Refraction
When light passes from one medium into another, it changes direction and speed. This change in direction upon entering a different medium is known as refraction.
Q4. Which type of reflection occurs when light strikes a smooth, polished surface and follows the same path as the incident ray?
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Correct answer: D — Specular reflection
Specular reflection occurs when light strikes a smooth surface and reflects in a single, parallel direction, like a mirror. This is known as regular reflection.
Q5. When light travels from a medium of lower refractive index to a medium of higher refractive index, the refracted ray bends:
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Correct answer: C — Away from the normal
According to Snell's Law and the properties of refraction, when light enters a denser medium (higher refractive index), it bends towards the normal.
Q6. Which term describes the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another?
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Correct answer: C — Refraction
Refraction is the phenomenon where the speed of light changes as it passes from one transparent medium to another, causing the light ray to bend.
Q7. The bending of light as it passes from one medium to another is called:
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Correct answer: D — Refraction
Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another due to a change in the speed of light.
Q8. The phenomenon of refraction is caused by:
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Correct answer: C — Bending of light as it passes from one medium to another.
Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one transparent medium to another, which occurs due to the change in the speed of light.
Q9. The refractive index of a medium is defined as the ratio of:
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Correct answer: D — The speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in the medium.
Refractive index (n) is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum (c) to the speed of light in the medium (v), i.e., n = c/v.
Q10. If light travels from a rarer medium to a denser medium, what happens to the angle of refraction compared to the angle of incidence?
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Correct answer: D — Angle of refraction is less than the angle of incidence
When light enters a denser medium, it slows down, causing the refracted ray to bend towards the normal, resulting in an angle of refraction that is smaller than the angle of incidence.
Q11. Which of the following is the primary cause of dispersion of light, leading to the separation of white light into its constituent colors?
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Correct answer: B — Variation of speed of light for different colors
Dispersion occurs because the refractive index of the medium depends slightly on the frequency (color) of light. Different colors travel at slightly different speeds, causing them to bend at different angles.
Q12. Which of the following statements correctly describes the law of reflection?
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Correct answer: C — The angle of incidence is always equal to the angle of reflection.
The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence (angle between the incident ray and the normal) is equal to the angle of reflection (angle between the reflected ray and the normal).
Q13. The quantity n = c/v represents what physical property of a medium?
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Correct answer: A — Refractive Index
The refractive index (n) of a medium is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum (c) to the speed of light in that medium (v).
Q14. Which phenomenon occurs when light traveling in a denser medium strikes the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle?
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Correct answer: D — Total Internal Reflection
When the angle of incidence exceeds the critical angle, the light is completely reflected back into the denser medium; this is known as Total Internal Reflection (TIR).
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