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When you look in a mirror, you see a clear reflection of yourself. The
picture you see in a mirror is called an image.
Bouncing light
Mirrors reflect light. White paper reflects light. Why do we see a clear
image in a mirror but not in a sheet of paper?
A sheet of paper has a rough surface. When rays of light strike the
paper, they are scattered in all directions.
A mirror has a very flat, smooth surface. Rays of light bounce off a
mirror without being scattered.
152 12 Light
12.3 How reflections form
Questions
A+I 1 Give three uses of mirrors in everyday life.
2 If you look into a pond or a calm river, you may see a clear reflection of
yourself. What does this tell you about the surface of the water?
3 Make a copy of the diagram showing the law of reflection. Use a ruler
to draw the rays and the mirror. Use a protractor to make sure that you
draw the normal at 90 ° to the mirror. Draw the angles of incidence and
reflection with values of 30 °. Label your diagram fully.
4 If a ray of light strikes a mirror with an angle of incidence of 60 °, what
will be the angle of reflection? Sketch a diagram of this situation.
Activity 12.3
Law of reflection
SE You can use a ray box and a plane (flat) mirror to show that the law of
reflection is correct.
light ray
1 Stand the mirror on a sheet of white paper. Using a pencil, draw a line
along the back of the mirror (where its reflecting surface is).
2 Direct a ray of light at the mirror. Look for the reflected ray.
3 Mark two dots on the incident ray and two dots on the reflected ray.
4 Now remove the sheet of paper. Using a ruler, draw the paths of the two
rays. The dots will show you their paths. Use a protractor to help you
draw in the normal. Mark the angle of incidence and angle of reflection
and measure them with a protractor. Are they equal?
5 Repeat this with the ray striking the mirror at a different angle.
Summary
• Smooth surfaces reflect light according to the
law of reflection.
• Law of reflection: angle of incidence = angle of reflection.
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