Multiple Choice Questions on Light and Optics

Question 1:

Why do birds not cast shadows when they fly at a great height?

• A) Diameter of the sun is much greater than the size of the bird
• B) Diameter of the sun is much smaller than the size of the bird
• C) The bird is transparent
• D) The bird is too close to the sun

Question 2:

What causes a solar eclipse?

• A) The moon coming between the sun and the earth
• B) The earth coming between the sun and the moon
• C) The sun coming between the earth and the moon
• D) The earth coming between the moon and the sun

Question 3:

What is the umbra during a solar eclipse?

• A) The lighter part of the shadow
• B) The region of partial shadow
• C) The completely dark region of the shadow
• D) The region outside the shadow

Question 4:

Which of the following is true about partial solar eclipses?

• A) They are safe to look at with the naked eye
• B) They are dangerous to look at because the un-eclipsed part of the sun is still very bright
• C) They occur during a full moon
• D) They are completely dark

Question 5:

When does a lunar eclipse occur?

• A) When the sun, moon, and earth come in a straight line
• B) When the earth, sun, and moon come in a straight line
• C) When the sun, earth, and moon come in a straight line
• D) When the moon passes between the earth and the sun

Question 6:

What is reflection of light?

• A) The bending of light as it passes from one medium to another
• B) The spreading of light in different directions
• C) The sending back of light by objects
• D) The absorption of light by objects

Question 7:

Which type of body absorbs some of the light that falls on it and reflects the remaining light?

• A) Transparent body
• B) Opaque body
• C) Luminous body
• D) Non-luminous body

Question 8:

What are the laws of reflection?

• A) The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection
• B) The incident ray, the normal, and the reflected ray all lie in different planes
• C) The incident ray, the normal, and the reflected ray all lie in the same plane
• D) Both A and C

Question 9:

What is regular reflection?

• A) When light beam falls on a smooth highly polished surface
• B) When light beam falls on a rough and uneven surface
• C) When light is absorbed by an object
• D) When light is scattered in different directions

Question 10:

What is diffuse reflection?

• A) When light beam falls on a smooth highly polished surface
• B) When light beam falls on a rough and uneven surface
• C) When light is absorbed by an object
• D) When light passes through a transparent object

Question 11:

How far is the sun from the earth?

• A) Almost 93 million miles
• B) Almost 150 million kilometers
• C) Almost 100 million miles
• D) Almost 200 million kilometers

Question 12:

How long does it take for light to travel from the sun to the earth?

• A) About 1 second
• B) About 8 minutes
• C) About 1 hour
• D) About 1 day

Question 13:

What is luminescence?

• A) Emitting heat
• B) Emitting light
• C) Emitting sound
• D) Emitting radiation

Question 14:

What is phosphorescence?

• A) Emitting stored light
• B) Emitting heat
• C) Emitting sound
• D) Emitting radiation

Question 15:

What is the penumbra?

• A) The darker central portion of a shadow
• B) The lighter surrounding portion of a shadow
• C) The reflection of light
• D) The bending of light

Question 16:

What is the umbra?

• A) The darker central portion of a shadow
• B) The lighter surrounding portion of a shadow
• C) The reflection of light
• D) The bending of light

Question 17:

What does divergent mean?

• A) Coming closer to meet at a point
• B) Going further away
• C) Reflecting light
• D) Emitting stored light

Question 18:

What is fluorescence?

• A) Glow from light from an outside source
• B) Emitting stored light
• C) Emitting heat
• D) Emitting sound

Question 19:

What is the scientific study of sound waves known as?

• A) Optics
• B) Acoustics
• C) Reflection
• D) Refraction

Question 20:

How far can sunlight reach into the ocean?

• A) About 50 meters
• B) About 100 meters
• C) About 80 meters
• D) About 200 meters

Question 21:

Why are UV rays dangerous to look at during a solar eclipse?

• A) They can cause temporary blindness
• B) They can cause permanent damage to the retina
• C) They can cause skin burns
• D) They can cause dehydration

Question 22:

What is the primary reason that we can’t see a shadow in the dark?

• A) Lack of light source
• B) Lack of opaque object
• C) Lack of screen or surface
• D) Lack of air