Reflection vs. Refraction Flashcards
Difference between reflection and refraction.
Reflection is the process of light striking a surface and bouncing back off that surface. Refraction is the bending of light as it travels from one medium to another.
Describe the Law of Reflection.
The law of reflection is that the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence.
Describe refraction and how you can determine which direction a ray will refract.
Refraction is the bending of light as it travels from one medium to another. If a ray of light is travelling from a more dense material to a less dense material, it will speed up. If a ray of light is travelling from a less dense material to a more dense material, it will slow down.
What is a incident ray?
A light ray approaching a surface.
What does opaque mean?
No light passes through, it is reflected or absorbed.
What is reflection?
The process of light striking a surface and bouncing back off that surface.
What does translucent mean?
Some light passes through, while some is reflected or bent.
What is the angle of reflection?
The angle between the reflected ray and the normal line
What is refraction?
Is the bending of light as it travels from one medium to another.
What is the angle of incidence?
The angle between the incident ray and the normal line.
What does transparent mean?
Light passes through in a straight line.
What is a normal line?
A line perpendicular to a mirror. It creates two 90 degree angles.
Describe the images created by a plane mirror.
Plane mirrors are:
-Reversed
-Upright
-The same size as the object
-The same distance from the mirror as the object
Describe the images created by a concave mirror.
Concave mirrors create: Virtual and real images, upright when the object is close and inverted when the object is far away.
Describe the images created by a convex mirror.
Convex mirrors create: Virtual image, upright, smaller, used for wide views.
