Light: Shadows and Reflections MCQs for UPSC Prelims

120 practice questions covering Light: Shadows and Reflections, organised into 0 topics. 120 questions include a written explanation. Pick a topic below, or try the samples first.

Sample questions

Q1
medium

Which of these capital letters, written on a card facing a plane mirror, looks exactly the same in its reflection?

  1. A R
  2. B A
  3. C B
  4. D P
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - A

A mirror swaps the left and right halves of a letter. The letter A has matching left and right halves, so the swap leaves it looking unchanged. B, P and R all have their curves on one side only, so in the mirror those curves move to the other side and the letters look reversed.

Q2
hard

The three mirror strips of a kaleidoscope are replaced by three strips of plain cardboard of exactly the same size. Looking into the tube, a person will now see

  1. A a brighter pattern than before
  2. B just the few coloured pieces, with no repeating pattern
  3. C the pattern turned upside down
  4. D the same pattern in black and white
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - just the few coloured pieces, with no repeating pattern

The repeating pattern comes entirely from reflections between the mirrors, and rough cardboard cannot reflect regularly, so only the actual pieces are seen. The tube also becomes darker rather than brighter, since cardboard soaks up light. With no reflections there is no pattern left to appear in another colour or another position.

Q3
medium

A small coin held close to a torch throws a shadow on the wall that is far bigger than the coin itself. This happens because

  1. A light spreads out from the torch, so the blocked region keeps widening
  2. B the coin becomes bigger in the dark
  3. C the wall makes the shadow bigger
  4. D light bends round the coin and spreads out
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - light spreads out from the torch, so the blocked region keeps widening

The torch light travels outwards as a widening cone, so the patch it cannot reach also widens as it goes towards the wall. The coin itself does not change size, and light does not bend round it. The wall only receives the shadow; it does nothing to enlarge it.

Q4
medium

The beautiful patterns seen in a kaleidoscope are formed because the coloured pieces are

  1. A made to glow by the mirrors
  2. B reflected again and again between the mirror strips
  3. C broken into smaller pieces by the tube
  4. D seen through a tiny hole one at a time
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - reflected again and again between the mirror strips

Each mirror reflects the pieces, and those reflections are reflected again by the other mirrors, so a few pieces appear many times over in a regular arrangement. The pieces do not glow, and nothing inside breaks them. Looking through a small opening does not by itself repeat anything.

Q5
easy

An object is moved closer to a torch while the screen behind it is not moved. Its shadow on the screen becomes

  1. A coloured
  2. B smaller
  3. C larger
  4. D exactly the same size
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - larger

Light spreads out as it leaves a torch, so an object nearer the torch blocks a wider slice of the spreading light and the dark patch on the screen grows. Moving the object away would make the shadow smaller. The size clearly changes, and a shadow never takes on a colour.

Q6
easy

Reflection from a smooth, polished surface, which gives a clear image, is called

  1. A absorption of light
  2. B regular reflection
  3. C scattering by dust
  4. D irregular reflection
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - regular reflection

On a smooth surface the reflected light keeps its neat arrangement, so a clear image is formed, and this is called regular reflection. Irregular reflection happens on rough surfaces, where the light is thrown in many directions and no image forms. Absorption means light is taken in, and scattering by dust happens in the air, not at a polished surface.

Practice the full Light: Shadows and Reflections bank free

All 120 questions with timed practice, instant scoring, and explanations. Free forever.

Start practicing I am a teacher - create a test

Other subjects

Environment & Ecology 1200 Economy 1075 Logical Reasoning 1013 Quantitative Aptitude 916 Polity & Governance 897 Geography 885 Science & Technology 830 Ancient & Medieval History 737 Art & Culture 711 Modern History 589 International Relations 582 Data Interpretation 515 Reading Comprehension 408 Number Play 317 Fractions 142 A Peek Beyond the Point 125 Quadrilaterals 120 Changes Around Us: Physical and Chemical 120 Proportional Reasoning-1 120 Measurement of Length and Motion 116 Exploring Substances: Acidic, Basic, and Neutral 116 Prime Time 116 Light: Mirrors and Lenses 116 Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body 115 Exploring Forces 115 Lines and Angles 115 Measurement of Time and Motion 115 Nature's Treasures 115 Parallel and Intersecting Lines 115 Pressure, Winds, Storms, and Cyclones 115 Power Play 114 The Invisible Living World: Beyond Our Naked Eye 112 Working with Fractions 110 Diversity in the Living World 110 A Journey through States of Water 110 A Tale of Three Intersecting Lines 110 The Amazing World of Solutes, Solvents, and Solutions 110 Electricity: Circuits and their Components 110 How Nature Works in Harmony 110 Large Numbers Around Us 110 Nature of Matter: Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures 110 The World of Metals and Non-metals 110 Electricity: Magnetic and Heating Effects 110 We Distribute, Yet Things Multiply 110 A Square and A Cube 109 The Other Side of Zero 106 Heat Transfer in Nature 105 Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics 105 Health: The Ultimate Treasure 105 Expressions using Letter-Numbers 105 Methods of Separation in Everyday Life 105 Exploring Magnets 105 Our Home: Earth, a Unique Life Sustaining Planet 105 Beyond Earth 105 Life Processes in Animals 105 Life Processes in Plants 105 Patterns in Mathematics 103 Perimeter and Area 100 Particulate Nature of Matter 100 Materials Around Us 100 A Story of Numbers 100 Earth, Moon, and the Sun 100