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Chapter 10 of 32
Important Questions

Optical Instruments

ICSE · Class 12 · Physics

Most important questions from Optical Instruments for ICSE Class 12 Physics board exam 2026. MCQs, short answer, and long answer questions with marks.

42 questions34 flashcards5 concepts

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42 Questions·
multiple choice

Sample Questions

1multiple choice
1 marks

The magnifying power of an astronomical telescope in normal adjustment is given by M = -f₀/fₑ. If the objective has focal length 150 cm and the eyepiece has focal length 5 cm, what is the magnitude of the magnifying power?

Show answer

30

Step 1: In normal adjustment (relaxed eye), the final image is at infinity and M = -f₀/fₑ. Step 2: Here f₀ = 150 cm, fₑ = 5 cm. Step 3: |M| = f₀/fₑ = 150/5 = 30. Step 4: The negative sign indicates an inverted image, but the magnitude of magnifying power is 30. Option 15 results from f₀/10, Option 25 is a miscalculation, Option 155 incorrectly adds the focal lengths.

2multiple choice
1 marks

The length of an astronomical telescope in normal adjustment (image at infinity) is:

Show answer

f₀ + fₑ

Step 1: In normal adjustment, the image formed by the objective falls exactly at the focus of the eyepiece. Step 2: The objective forms its image at distance f₀ from itself. Step 3: The eyepiece is positioned so that this image is at its focus fₑ. Step 4: Therefore, the total tube length = f₀ + fₑ. f₀ - fₑ is incorrect and would give a shorter (unrealistic) tube. f₀ × fₑ has wrong dimensions (cm² instead of cm).

3multiple choice
1 marks

To increase the magnifying power of an astronomical telescope, one should:

Show answer

Increase the focal length of the objective and decrease the focal length of the eyepiece

Step 1: Magnifying power of telescope M = f₀/fₑ. Step 2: To increase M, we need to increase f₀ (numerator) or decrease fₑ (denominator). Step 3: So increasing f₀ and decreasing fₑ both help increase M. Step 4: Decreasing f₀ would reduce M; increasing fₑ would also reduce M. Decreasing both gives unpredictable change. Increasing both equally keeps M constant since the ratio remains same.

4multiple choice
1 marks

Which of the following is the main advantage of a reflecting telescope over a refracting telescope?

Show answer

It is free from chromatic aberration

Step 1: In a refracting telescope, light passes through glass lenses. Different colours (wavelengths) refract by different amounts, causing chromatic aberration. Step 2: In a reflecting telescope, the objective is a concave mirror. Reflection does not split light into different colours — so there is no chromatic aberration. Step 3: Additionally, a paraboloidal mirror can also eliminate spherical aberration. Step 4: The other options are incorrect: reflecting telescopes use mirrors (not small lenses), they produce real images at the focal plane, and tube length depends on focal length, not the

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the important topics in Optical Instruments for ICSE Class 12 Physics?
Key topics in Optical Instruments include Optical Instruments – Complete Chapter Overview, Mind map showing the classification of optical instruments into microscopes and telescopes with their subtypes, along with fundamental concepts., Flowchart showing how eye accommodation varies with object distance and leads to the need for optical instruments.. These are the concepts ICSE Class 12 examiners draw on most — study them first, then practise related questions.
How to score full marks in Optical Instruments — ICSE Class 12 Physics?
Understand the core concepts first, then work through the 42 practice questions available for this chapter. Revise formulas and definitions regularly, and use flashcards for quick recall before the exam.
How many important questions are there in Optical Instruments?
There are 42 practice questions available for Optical Instruments. These cover multiple question types including MCQs, short answer, and long answer questions.

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