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The Reflection of Light. Law of Reflection. The angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence. Both angles are measured from an imaginary line (normal) that is at a 90° angle from the reflecting surface. Diagram of the Law of Reflection. Practice Problem One:.
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Law of Reflection • The angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence. • Both angles are measured from an imaginary line (normal) that is at a 90° angle from the reflecting surface.
Practice Problem One: • If a ray of light hits a mirror at 95°, what angle will the reflected ray be? Answer: 95° since the reflected ray has the same angle as the incident ray.
How we see objects in a mirror: • The incident ray of light from the object hits the mirror and reflects off at the same angle. • The reflected ray hits our eye. • Our brain decides that the light came from a point along the reflected ray.
How we see objects in a mirror: • This allows us to see the object in the correct position where all of the reflected rays converge.
Curved Mirrors • Mirrors that are not flat obey the Law of Reflection, but act as multiple mirrors. • This is why curved mirrors can make objects appear smaller or larger.
Diffuse Reflection • Most surfaces reflect electromagnetic waves in all different directions. • This is beneficial in most circumstances since light reflection would make vision difficult.
Polished Surfaces • When the distance between the highpoints on an object are less than 1/8 of the wavelength of light, the object is polished and will reflect the wave.