A point source of light is a source that emits highly directional light radiations into the environment that are typically concentrated on a single point. To understand the working on point sources of light, suppose an object is placed between a screen and a point source of light. When the light radiations emitted by the light source strike the surface of the object, a portion of the light radiations gets absorbed, while a part of the light bounces back. This reflection and absorption of light radiations majorly depend on the nature or texture of the object. If the object is opaque in nature, a shadow gets formed on the surface of the screen. The shadow formed as a result of exposure to light emitted by point sources is highly dense and does not contain different parts. The size of the shadow tends to increase with a decrease in distance between the object and the light source, whereas the size of the shadow reduces as the object moves away from the source of light.
Point Sources of Light Examples
There exist a variety of point sources of light in our daily life. Some of them are listed below:
1. Torch
A torch that has a narrow opening on its front side forms a prominent example of point sources of light in our daily life.
2. LASER
LASER or light amplification by spontaneous emission of radiations is a device that consists of a highly concentrated beam of light. This means that LASER light typically falls under the category of point sources of light.
3. Stars
The stars, when observed from the surface of the earth, form yet another example of point sources of light in real life.
4. LEDs
Light emission diodes are yet another example of the point sources of light in real life.
