Friday, June 20, 2008

Reflection of Light by 2E2 Elizabeth Lee

Topic: Reflection of light – i. What is reflection of light?
ii. When does it happen?
iii. Types of reflection
iv. Uses of reflection of light, examples?
I have learnt that reflection is the bouncing of light off a mirror surface.

Reflection is also the change in direction of a wave front at an interface between two different media so that the wave front returns into the medium from which it originated.

There are two types of reflection, specular and diffused.
Specular reflection is reflection from a smooth surface. When light strikes this smooth surface, all the reflected rays are in line with each other. An image is formed.
Diffused reflection is reflection from a rough surface. The small bumps and irregularities on a rough surface will cause each of the light rays to reflect n different directions. No image is formed.

Characteristics of Reflection are that the image formed is the same size and shape of the object. It is also a virtual image.

Acknowledgement: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflection_(physics)#Laws_of_regular_reflection
http://library.thinkquest.org/27356/p_reflection.htm

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