Reflection

Question 1

What is the ray of light that travels towards a reflecting surface?

Answer 1

Incident ray

Question 2

What is the angle between the incident ray and the normal called?

Answer 2

The angle of incidence (i)

Question 3

What is the line drawn from the point of incidence at 90• to the surface of the optical device called?

Answer 3

The normal

Question 4

What is the angle between the reflected ray and the normal called?

Answer 4

The angle of reflection (r)

Question 5

What is the ray of light that bounces off a reflecting surface called?

Answer 5

The reflected ray

Question 6

What is the first law of reflection?

Answer 6

The first law of reflection states that the angle of reflection and the angle of incidence are equal to each other. For example, if the angle of incidence is 30 degrees, then the angle of reflection is 30 degrees.

Question 7

What is the second law of reflection?

Answer 7

The second law of reflection states that the incident ray, the normal, and the reflected ray are all in the same plane (imaginary flat surface). This is why you can draw all three lines on a flat sheet of paper.

Question 8

When does reflection occur?

Answer 8

Reflection occurs when light bounces off a surface. All the light striking an object is not reflected- some light energy is absorbed. Dark surfaces absorb most of the light that strikes them.

Question 9

What happens to light when it strikes a material?

Answer 9

It’s either absorbed, reflected, transmitted, or scattered