Reflection and refractionIB MYP Physics: Mind map

Exam questions on Reflection and refraction

1. A student in Lagos investigates reflection using a ray box and a plane mirror laid flat on a sheet of paper. She draws a line at right angles to the mirror at the point where a ray of light hits it. The ray hits the mirror at 30° to the surface of the mirror. She then places a pencil in front of the mirror and looks at its image.
   Describe two properties of the image of the pencil seen in the plane mirror.2 marks
2. In a physics laboratory in Seoul, a ray of light passes from air into a rectangular glass block. The angle of incidence is 50° and the angle of refraction is 30°.
   The student then shines a ray of light into the glass block along the normal. State what happens to the direction and the speed of the ray as it enters the glass.2 marks
3. A student investigates refraction using a rectangular glass block, a ray box and a protractor. She shines a ray of light into the block from air at different angles of incidence and measures the angle of refraction each time. For angles of incidence of 20°, 40° and 60°, she measures angles of refraction of 13°, 25° and 35°.
   Use the readings for an angle of incidence of 60° to calculate the refractive index of the glass.3 marks