Download Light: Shadows and Reflections – NCERT Class 7 Science Chapter 11 PDF from the new NCERT Class 7 Science book Curiosity (2026-27). Read the chapter online or download the free PDF. Objects that give out their own light — the Sun, stars, lightning, fire, fireflies, a lit bulb — are luminous. Objects that only send back the light falling on them, such as the Moon, a mirror, Mars or Venus, are non-luminous.
Light: Shadows and Reflections PDF – Chapter 11 of Curiosity
Read the chapter online or download the PDF.
| Chapter | Download | |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 11 PDF | Light: Shadows and Reflections | View PDF |
| Full book | NCERT Class 7 Science – Curiosity | View Book |
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What Is in Light: Shadows and Reflections? (Class 7 Science Chapter 11)
- Objects that give out their own light — the Sun, stars, lightning, fire, fireflies, a lit bulb — are luminous. Objects that only send back the light falling on them, such as the Moon, a mirror, Mars or Venus, are non-luminous.
- Light travels in a straight line. The matchbox activity (three holes in a line), the straight-versus-bent pipe and the laser beam in milky water all point to the same conclusion.
- Light passes almost completely through transparent materials, partly through translucent materials, and not at all through opaque materials.
- A shadow is the dark patch formed where an object blocks light. Three things are needed — a source of light, an opaque object and a screen. The shadow shows only the outline; changing the colour of the object never changes the colour of its shadow.
- A mirror changes the direction of light — this is the reflection of light. The image in a plane mirror is the same size as the object, erect, cannot be caught on a screen, is as far behind the mirror as the object is in front, and is laterally inverted.
- A pinhole camera forms an upside down (inverted) image on its screen because rays from the top of the object cross the rays from the bottom at the pinhole. Two plane mirrors make a periscope; three make a kaleidoscope.
Quick revision – Light: Shadows and Reflections
| Term | What it means | Example from the chapter | Point to remember |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luminous object | An object that emits its own light | Sun, Pole Star, lightning, firefly, LED lamp | The Moon is not luminous |
| Non-luminous object | An object that does not emit light of its own | Moon, mirror, Mars, Venus, a book | It is seen by the light it reflects |
| Transparent | Light passes almost completely through it | Clear glass, water | You can see through it clearly |
| Translucent | Light passes partly through it | Tracing paper, thin cloth, frosted glass | Makes a lighter, blurred shadow |
| Opaque | Light does not pass through it | Cardboard, thick cloth, a steel plate | Makes the darkest shadow |
| Shadow | Dark patch formed where an opaque object blocks light | Your shadow on the ground in the Sun | Needs source + object + screen |
| Reflection of light | The change in direction of light by a mirror | Sunlight thrown on a shaded wall by a steel plate (Fig. 11.8) | Light still travels in straight lines |
| Plane mirror | A flat, not curved, mirror | The mirror you comb your hair in | Image: same size, erect, cannot be obtained on a screen |
| Lateral inversion | Left of the object appears as right in the image | AMBULANCE written in reverse on vans | Letters T, O, A, M look unchanged |
| Pinhole camera | A box in which light through a tiny hole forms an image | Candle flame image in Fig. 11.12 | The image is upside down |
| Periscope | Z-shaped box with two plane mirrors | Used in submarines, tanks, bunkers | Lets you see what is hidden |
| Kaleidoscope | Tube with three mirror strips and coloured bits | Fig. 11.15 | Reflections of reflections make patterns |
Old NCERT vs New – Class 7 Science
This chapter is from Curiosity, the new NCERT Class 7 Science book (NCF-SE 2023, used from 2025-26). It replaced the old book “Science”, so chapter numbers and names differ from older PDFs.
Solutions and All Chapters
Answers to the exercises and the full chapter list of Curiosity:
Light: Shadows and Reflections – Overview
| Class | Class 7 |
| Subject | Science |
| Book | Curiosity – new NCERT book |
| Chapter | 11 of 12 – Light: Shadows and Reflections |
| Book pages | 153 – 168 |
| Edition | NCERT Reprint 2026-27 |
| Session | 2026-27 |
| Free – read online or download |
Class 7 Science Chapter 11 – FAQs
Where can I download Light: Shadows and Reflections Class 7 PDF?
From the download table on this page – the chapter PDF is free, and the full book is linked too.
What is Class 7 Science Chapter 11 about?
Objects that give out their own light — the Sun, stars, lightning, fire, fireflies, a lit bulb — are luminous. Objects that only send back the light falling on them, such as the Moon, a mirror, Mars or Venus, are non-luminous.
Is Light: Shadows and Reflections from the new NCERT Class 7 Science book?
Yes. It is chapter 11 of curiosity, the new NCERT Class 7 Science book for 2026-27.
Is this the latest NCERT edition for 2026-27?
Yes – the PDF is NCERT’s latest edition for the 2026-27 session.
Where are the NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Science Chapter 11?
Open the NCERT Solutions link above for answers to the exercise questions.