Download Light: Mirrors and Lenses – NCERT Class 8 Science Chapter 10 PDF from the new NCERT Class 8 Science book Curiosity (2026-27). Read the chapter online or download the free PDF. A spherical mirror is a mirror whose reflecting surface is shaped like a part of a hollow sphere. If it curves inwards it is a concave mirror; if it curves outwards it is a convex mirror.
Light: Mirrors and Lenses PDF – Chapter 10 of Curiosity
Read the chapter online or download the PDF.
| Chapter | Download | |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 10 PDF | Light: Mirrors and Lenses | View PDF |
| Full book | NCERT Class 8 Science – Curiosity | View Book |
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What Is in Light: Mirrors and Lenses? (Class 8 Science Chapter 10)
- A spherical mirror is a mirror whose reflecting surface is shaped like a part of a hollow sphere. If it curves inwards it is a concave mirror; if it curves outwards it is a convex mirror.
- A concave mirror gives an image that is enlarged, diminished or the same size, and erect or inverted, depending on how far the object is from the mirror. A convex mirror always gives an erect, diminished image.
- Two laws of reflection: (i) the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, and (ii) the incident ray, the normal at the point of incidence, and the reflected ray all lie in the same plane. Both angles are measured from the normal.
- The laws hold for every mirror — plane, concave and convex. Because a spherical surface is curved, the normal points a different way at each point, so a parallel beam is made to converge (concave) or diverge (convex).
- A lens is a transparent piece of glass or plastic with curved surfaces. A convex lens is thicker in the middle and converges light; a concave lens is thicker at the edges and diverges light.
- A convex lens behaves like a concave mirror as far as the image is concerned — enlarged, diminished or same size, erect or inverted, according to distance; a concave lens, like a convex mirror, always gives an erect, diminished image.
Quick revision – Light: Mirrors and Lenses
| Term | What it means | Key behaviour | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spherical mirror | A mirror whose reflecting surface is a part of a hollow sphere | The normal points a different way at each point of the surface | Concave and convex mirrors |
| Concave mirror | Reflecting surface curves inwards | Converges a parallel beam to a point | Torch reflector, vehicle headlight, dentist's mirror |
| Convex mirror | Reflecting surface curves outwards | Diverges a parallel beam; image always erect and diminished | Side-view mirror, road-safety mirror, shop surveillance mirror |
| Incident ray | The ray of light that falls on the mirror | Meets the mirror at the point of incidence, O | Fig. 10.9a |
| Normal | The line drawn at 90° to the mirror at the point of incidence | Both i and r are measured from it — never from the mirror | Fig. 10.9b |
| Angle of incidence (i) | Angle between the incident ray and the normal | I = r | Table 10.1 |
| Angle of reflection (r) | Angle between the reflected ray and the normal | I = r | Table 10.1 |
| Erect / inverted | Image the same way up as the object / upside down | Convex mirror and concave lens: always erect | Fig. 10.5, Fig. 10.17 |
| Enlarged / diminished | Image larger / smaller than the object | Convex mirror and concave lens: always diminished | Fig. 10.23, Fig. 10.24 |
| Lateral inversion | Left and right interchanged in the image | Seen in plane, concave and convex mirrors alike | Activity 10.3 |
| Convex lens | Transparent piece thicker at the middle than at the edges | Converging lens; can burn paper in sunlight | Magnifying glass, camera, the lens of our eye |
| Concave lens | Transparent piece thicker at the edges than at the middle | Diverging lens; image always erect and diminished | Some spectacle lenses, viewfinders |
Old NCERT vs New – Class 8 Science
This chapter is from Curiosity, the new NCERT Class 8 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: Mirrors and Lenses – Overview
| Class | Class 8 |
| Subject | Science |
| Book | Curiosity – new NCERT book |
| Chapter | 10 of 13 – Light: Mirrors and Lenses |
| Book pages | 152 – 169 |
| Edition | NCERT Reprint 2026-27 |
| Session | 2026-27 |
| Free – read online or download |
Class 8 Science Chapter 10 – FAQs
Where can I download Light: Mirrors and Lenses Class 8 PDF?
From the download table on this page – the chapter PDF is free, and the full book is linked too.
What is Class 8 Science Chapter 10 about?
A spherical mirror is a mirror whose reflecting surface is shaped like a part of a hollow sphere. If it curves inwards it is a concave mirror; if it curves outwards it is a convex mirror.
Is Light: Mirrors and Lenses from the new NCERT Class 8 Science book?
Yes. It is chapter 10 of curiosity, the new NCERT Class 8 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 8 Science Chapter 10?
Open the NCERT Solutions link above for answers to the exercise questions.